


If Only Tonight We Could Sleep

by Dont_touch_the_phlebotinum



Series: The Same Deep Water As You [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-25
Updated: 2013-02-26
Packaged: 2017-12-03 15:23:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 27,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/699703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dont_touch_the_phlebotinum/pseuds/Dont_touch_the_phlebotinum
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony's never been great at resisting temptation. But when he can have almost anyone, what could be hotter than having someone he really, really shouldn't?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Loki watched the life drain from the Dark Elf’s eyes with detachment, scouting for his next target before the creature’s body hit the ground. There were scant Elves left on the battlefield now – those not being slain were making a hasty retreat – yet not far in the distance he spied three of the cursed warriors creeping towards Thor, the golden son of Asgard oblivious to their approach as he engaged Malekith in combat. Loki spun and let three knives fly from his hand. Each found their target as Malekith was sent soaring through the air by a powerful swing of Mjolnir.

Thor recognised his brother’s handiwork as the would-be assailants collapsed in an undignified heap. He searched for a glimpse of Loki, nodding in thanks when their eyes met across the mass of bodies that separated them, before making his way to Malekith’s immobile form to ensure the beast had indeed perished.

Loki pretended not to notice the gesture, instead choosing to head in the opposite direction to chase down more of the fleeing Elves. Thor’s ceaseless attempts to repair their shattered relationship had long since passed from tiresome into the realm of insufferable, though Loki forced himself to meet his brother’s efforts with good humour. After all, his plan was reliant upon Loki’s so-called kin believing his pretence of reform.

More creatures fell. Loki’s bloodlust was still not sated.

Dissatisfied, he turned his eye once again to the others and watched the last Elf perish at Sif’s blade, the warrior’s beauty masked behind blood and filth as she straightened and mirrored Loki’s search for more enemies to slay. Her face washed with relief as she saw that the battle was over. It was a sentiment shared by many, but not all; Loki was purely disappointed. He pushed it aside, however, when the realisation dawned on him that his obligation to Thor was now complete – Asgard would be safe once again. He moved to where his brother stood surveying the devastation.

“I believe we had a bargain.”

“Yes.” Thor finally turned to face Loki before continuing. “Upon our return to Asgard, you shall have your freedom, brother.”

It took all of Loki’s self-control to restrain the triumphant grin threatening to erupt across his features. His plan was almost complete.

 

Deafening alarms echoing through the halls roused Thor from his slumber. Springing to his feet, he charged from his chamber, ignoring the aches in his muscles from the day’s battle. The safety of Asgard was his first concern, and his injuries became a distant memory as he found a steward and demanded to know the cause of the disturbance.

“There is an intruder in the weapons vault. The guards have been slain, along with several men who attempted to intercept the fiend.”

“Find Odin; inform him of this. I will head to the weapons vault.”

The steward nodded and headed down a long corridor to the All-Father’s chambers while Thor barrelled toward the vault, summoning Mjolnir to his hand as he ran. A dark thought tugged at his mind, but he pushed it away, reminding himself that Loki was well again and his only interest lay in the good of Asgard. Still, he couldn’t remove himself completely from his suspicions. Loki’s imprisonment had been over for mere hours and Asgard was once again endangered – it would be imprudent to consider it happenstance, especially with the knowledge that only once before has the vault been compromised, in consequence of Loki’s mischief. And if his redemption had indeed been an act, he would surely want to take revenge for his incarceration.

He shut out his growing doubts completely as he reached the mangled bodies at the entrance to the vault. There was a figure stood examining something in the low light inside, but as Thor crept closer to raise Mjolnir to the fiend, they slipped the object – the Infinity Gauntlet, Thor realised with horror – on and sent him flying back across the room with a painful blow to the jaw.

He opened his eyes to find Loki stood over him, looking down at his prone sibling in amusement.

“Ooh, did that _hurt_ , brother?” A wicked grin spread across his lips, madness in his eyes once again. Thor scolded himself for agreeing to end Loki’s imprisonment. He had been foolish to believe that his brother’s fractured mind had truly healed.

“I feared this was your work, Loki. How long have you been plotting this?” His brother’s response was a mere chuckle.

“Did you really believe my plan was only to claim Midgard for my own? Oh Thor, your intelligence continues to astound.”

“Loki!”

Loki whirled around to face the entrance of the vault, and peering up through his brother’s legs, Thor saw Odin descending the steps towards them. He had only seen that look on his father’s face once before, when he had been banished to Earth, yet Odin still carried himself with nobility despite his obvious rage and confusion at Loki’s actions.

The mad grin was still firmly in place as Loki stepped backwards and he and his shrouded cohort disappeared, leaving the air crackling with magic. Odin surveyed the room, the grave look on his face aging him beyond his years. “It is worse than I feared.”

“Father, what is it?”

“ _Thanos._ ”

***

 

Tony arrived at Avengers Tower feeling like a zombie. A morning of board meetings and press conferences wasn’t a fun prospect at the best of times, so when Tony had been awake almost all night making adjustments to his suits, it was pretty much hell. He took another sip of coffee and whipped off his sunglasses, the bright lights of the lobby blinding him, and he pushed his way through the bustling mass of people as quickly as he could without spilling the hot liquid on himself.

The revamped Stark Tower had somehow morphed from ‘a place for the Avengers to each have their own space’ into ‘S.H.I.E.L.D.’s New York headquarters’, a fact Tony was hardly thrilled about, especially since he was more or less permanently based in Manhattan now after the destruction of his Malibu home. But it was nice to be close to his teammates, so he would have to learn to ignore the feeling of living in S.H.I.E.L.D.’s pocket.

Not that the Avengers were particularly close at the moment. Clint and Natasha were away on some mission – Tony had no idea where or for how long – and they hadn’t seen Thor since he’d returned to Asgard last year.

“Rough night?” Bruce was stood at the end of the lobby, wringing his hands as usual and looking like he was trying to melt into the wall.

“I wish. Hangovers are so much more fun than board meetings.”

“You got a few minutes?”

“For you? Of course. What do you need?”

“The results coming in from some of the new equipment in the lab have been–” he paused, searching for his next words, “– different from what I was expecting. I can’t find any outside interference, and recalibrating hasn’t had any effect. I was hoping you could take a look.”

“Sure thing.”

When they arrived in Bruce’s lab, Tony managed to make it halfway across the room before everything went to hell.

“Uh-oh,” Bruce said. He was checking the computer with a look of concern on his face. The man usually looked fairly troubled about something, Tony reminded himself, but this was ‘something seriously not-right is happening’ concern and it was infectious.

“You know I don’t like it when you say that, Bruce.”

“The system’s going haywire. There’s major interference now, radiation levels are–“ the sparking air around them cut him off, and a figure materialised in the centre of the room, immediately crumpling to his knees. Recognising the long black hair, pale skin and familiar black and green outfit, the pair froze. Loki looked even worse than he had the last time he arrived on Earth. He was covered in blood, his clothes in tatters, while one of his arms was hanging awkwardly as if he had a dislocated shoulder and the other trembled as he tried to hold himself up.

“He’s coming,” Loki rasped, before his arm gave out and he collapsed to the floor unconscious.

 

“Well I’ll say this for the guy: he knows how to make an entrance.”

“Tony,” said Steve, rubbing his forehead in exasperation, “Do you have to turn everything into a joke?”

Tony couldn’t help it. If he was honest, he didn’t have a clue how to react to this. Loki was still out cold, leaving slowly growing puddles of red on the nice, white floor of the lab while Tony, Steve and Bruce stood with Nick Fury and Agent Hill a safe distance from him. The safest distance they could get without leaving the room, at least – Tony’s idea of a safe distance from Loki was somewhere around Australia. None of them wanted to get any closer to check on him, in any case.

“I want him restrained before he wakes up.” Lost in his own racing thoughts, Tony barely heard Fury’s words.

“He could be faking – trying to lure one of us closer to attack us.”

“That plan wouldn’t work out well for him. I’d expect his schemes to be a little more elaborate, wouldn’t you, Steve? We are talking about Loki.” He noticed Bruce furrow his brow while he spoke, clearly running a dozen strings of thought through his head at once, much like Tony was. Loki’s words echoed through his mind. _‘He’s coming.’_

“I wouldn’t put anything past him,” Steve replied.

“Did he say anything before he collapsed?” Maria turned to Bruce, her face wearing the same composed expression it always sported. The woman truly was unflappable. “It might give us some idea why he’s back.”

“He said ‘He’s coming’. Did he look scared to you, Tony?” All eyes were on him now and he finally joined the conversation.

“I didn’t notice. I was still working through ‘Loki has just materialised in front of me instead of being dead or locked away somewhere and hey, that’s a lot of blood!’ when he collapsed.”

“’He’s coming’. Not exactly the most comforting message, is it? And if _Loki_ ’s afraid of this guy...” Steve trailed off as the implications of that sunk in.

“Why would Loki warn us anyway? You’d think if someone was after us, Loki would be cheerleading for the other team.”

 _Well thank you for that mental image, Bruce_.

“Right, we need to find out just what the hell he knows.” Fury was back in command mode after quietly taking in their discussion, “Tranq him and take him downstairs for interrogation. And for the love of God, make sure he’s secured tightly. I don’t want him escaping and causing any more trouble.” Tony opened his mouth to protest that Loki looked like he needed to see a doctor first, but his words were cut off by a familiar voice behind them.

“His name is Thanos,” Thor said from where he stood in the doorway, “He is a great danger to us all, perhaps more so than previously feared – my brother may be many things, but easily scared is not one of them.” He barely acknowledged the rest of them as he moved to Loki’s body to inspect his injuries. Straightening with a look of revulsion on his face, he spoke again.

“His condition is grim. He may perish if his wounds are not tended to soon.”

“Fine,” said Fury, “Find him a bed so Dr Banner can take a look at him. But I still want him sedated.”

Thor lifted Loki with some care – but not much, Tony noted – and looked at them questioningly, wordlessly asking one of them to lead the way. He continued his story as the group headed upstairs.

“Some hours ago, an intruder found his way into Asgard’s weapons vault. It houses many dangerous and powerful artefacts, though the fiend had eyes for only one: the Infinity Gauntlet. It is relatively harmless on its own, but when reunited with the Infinity Gems, the wearer of the gauntlet will be near unstoppable.”

“So where does Loki fit in?” Tony was practically running to keep up with Thor’s long strides.

“It was he who aided Thanos. We have reason to believe they have been in cahoots for some time. It would appear Loki’s attempt to subjugate your people was merely a ruse to manoeuvre himself back into position on Asgard and play his part in Thanos’ plot.”

“Wait, _what_?” All five of the humans stopped in their tracks at that little revelation and Thor gave them an apologetic glance.

“He must have known attacking Earth would draw my attention and I would strive to return him to Asgard alive, where he would likely face imprisonment over execution. He would think nothing of endangering your planet to further his own goals.”

He ducked into the small apartment without another word, leaving the others to stare blankly after him for a moment. The room wasn’t exactly cosy – most of this floor was made up of temporary accommodation for roving S.H.I.E.L.D. agents – though it was probably only Tony’s penthouse that Loki would consider good enough to suit his majesty.

“Dr. Banner,” Fury said once Thor had placed Loki on the bed, “What do you need?”

Sending Steve and Maria back downstairs to gather the supplies on Bruce’s list, he turned his attention to Thor, who spared one more worried glance at his brother before following Fury out of the room.

“Isn’t it Loki we’re supposed to be interrogating?” Tony said to Bruce as he watched Thor’s exit.

“I guess anything else Thor can tell us about Thanos will be useful. Even if Loki does talk, we have no way of knowing if he’s telling the truth. And that’s if he actually, uh–“

“Survives?” he offered. Bruce didn’t answer, preoccupied by studying the thick leather and metal of Loki’s armour.

“Can you help me get all this off?”

After a lot of effort and even more cursing they finally managed to strip off Loki’s heavy clothing. It was not a pretty sight that met them. Loki’s skin was more purple than white; he was covered in deep gashes; his right shoulder was definitely dislocated; and judging from the state of his side he had a good few shattered ribs, too. Tony let out a long whistle, and Bruce frowned again.

“I’m not sure how much good Fury thinks I can do here. He looks like he needs to be in a hospital.”

“I don’t think there are many hospitals that specialise in these kinds of cases.”

“Yeah... Well, we should fix that shoulder while we wait for Steve and Agent Hill – can you hold him here, like this?” Following Bruce’s instructions, they managed to wrench Loki’s arm back into place with a sickening pop.

 _One injury down, about 86 left to go_. _This is going to be a long afternoon._

There was nothing more they could do until Bruce had his equipment, so Tony turned his attention to the purple stone hanging on a chain around Loki’s neck. It had caught his eye as soon as they’d got Loki’s tunic off. There was definitely something magical about it. Tony could sense the air tingle with the power radiating from it.

Bruce looked up to see Tony’s eyes fixed on the jewel. “What do you think it is,” he asked, “One of the Infinity Gems Thor was talking about?”

“Whatever it is, I’m guessing Loki doesn’t have it for aesthetics. And if Thanos is after these things and Loki stole one, he’s just begging for a beatdown.”

Bruce’s hand on Tony’s arm stopped him reaching to get a closer look at the stone. “I don’t think we should touch it until we know more about it. Loki could have put some kind of protective spell on the thing for all we know.”

“Good point. I can probably run some tests without removing it. We’ll see if we can find out anything before Sleeping Beauty graces us with his presence again.”

“Uh, little help here?” The voice came from the other side of the apartment door. Tony got up and let Steve in, bandages and other equipment piled high in his strong arms as he tried to secure the bundle with his chin at the same time as crossing to the bedroom.

“Where’s Hill?”

“She got called downstairs.” Steve dropped his bounty in front of Bruce. “Was there anything else you needed?”

“This should be enough, thanks,” Bruce replied as he made a start on cleaning Loki’s cuts.

“I’ll leave you to it then, unless there’s something I can do?”

“I think Tony and I have got it. We’ll call you if we need you.”

Steve nodded in response and headed back out of the room, eager to get away from Loki. It was understandable. Still, Tony couldn’t help feeling bad for the guy – Loki really did look like he’d been through hell. He probably deserved it, and more, but it could be argued Tony had deserved it when he was kidnapped in Afghanistan, and that didn’t detract from the horror of the experience. Pushing those thoughts away for the time being, he moved back to Bruce’s side and helped him patch up Loki’s injuries.

It was a long, arduous process. By the time the pair had finally stitched up and bandaged the worst of the torn flesh, it was late in the evening and Tony was exhausted.

“I’m heading upstairs,” Tony said, stretching his stiffened limbs, “Night, Bruce.”

His feet dragged as he stepped out of the elevator into the penthouse, and he sank down into his couch with relief. He stared blankly at the bustling city outside, his mind working furiously to process the afternoon’s events. According to Thor, Loki and Thanos were deep in BBFs-ville, so why had Thanos turned on his accomplice? And why did Loki come to the Avengers for help – was this just another scheme of his, to earn their trust then stab them in the back? None of it made any sense.

 _I’m not going to come to any conclusions tonight_ , he thought, and tumbled into bed. If only that stopped the questions whirling around in his head all night. He spent the long hours staring at his ceiling as if he’d find the answers written there.


	2. Chapter 2

“ _Wake up, little god_.”

_Loki opened his eyes. He attempted to blink the darkness from his sight, soon realising the shadows were surrounding him, and tried to look around to ascertain his location. His body refused to move. Fighting to keep his heart rate from escalating, he remembered he was not alone, and Loki recognised where he was. Thanos had reached into Loki’s mind and called his consciousness to him._

_“I will find you, little god. Your transgressions will be punished.” Thanos appeared before him, as fearsome as he ever had been despite the casual tone of this threat – or perhaps because of it. Thanos could crush Loki effortlessly, and a fresh terror seeped through his veins as he contemplated the wretch’s promise. He knew the only reason he still lived was because he had something Thanos required, and once it was retrieved, Loki was sure to suffer for his disrespect._

_“It would appear disloyalty is a trait we share,” he replied cooly, keeping his emotions masked even as his master’s eyes flashed._

_“I owe you no loyalty. Your pitiful life would be finished if I had not pulled you from the abyss, yet you have the gall to fight me? You are nothing without me, trickster. I will recover that which you have stolen, and you will beg for death until your voice gives out, long before I grant your wish.” Thanos gripped Loki’s shoulder as he spoke, and Loki felt a searing pain shoot through him, right to the bone. He could not hold back his scream._

Loki’s eyes snapped open and the light shining throughout the room assaulted him. A voice sounded from somewhere above.

“Rise and shine, princess.”

He turned in the direction of the familiar voice and opened his eyes a fraction to squint at its owner. The mortal Tony Stark, the one they called ‘Iron Man’, was seated before Loki in a room that was foreign to him, presumably somewhere in Stark Tower, the strange device in his hand hovering over the gem resting on Loki’s sternum. He snatched a hand to the jewel, ignoring the pain that tore through his arm as he grasped the object out of Stark’s reach, though the human was no longer paying attention to it, his eyes focused on Loki’s still aching shoulder. Following his gaze, Loki shifted his head in order to glimpse the large handprint seared into his skin.

***

Tony was reaching out to touch the handprint on Loki’s shoulder before he was even aware of it. The mark hadn’t been there two minutes before when Loki was still asleep. _That’s one way to wake someone up from a 50-odd hour nap._ Loki’s hiss of pain when Tony made contact with the burnt flesh shook him from his reverie and he pulled his hand away with an apologetic smile.

“What happened, Thanos crash your dream party?” Loki had been struggling into a sitting position when Tony mentioned Thanos, and the word caused his wide eyes to fix on Tony’s. He looked terrified, which made Tony more uncomfortable than he cared to admit. “What the hell did he do to you?”

Loki just shook his head. He managed to sit upright and, without thinking, put his weight down on his right arm, immediately shooting back in reflex at the pain in his shoulder. The force of it sent him off-balance before Tony’s hand was at his side, gingerly guiding him backwards to rest against the wall. Tony had expected a string of insults in return for the gesture, yet Loki actually seemed grateful for it despite the hit his pride must have taken.

He closed his eyes, breathing heavily while Tony checked to make sure there weren’t any other fresh wounds before heading into the living area to grab the clothes they’d borrowed from Steve. Tony wondered whether he should wake Thor from his fretful sleep on the couch, deciding against it after a moment’s consideration. Thor hadn’t had more than a few hours rest since he arrived, only taking a break from watching over his brother when his fatigue became too much for him to ignore, so Tony was happy to leave him be for a while longer. Besides, Loki would be less likely to talk with Thor asking the questions.

“Here,” he said, placing the clothes on the bed in front of Loki, who wrinkled his nose as he inspected the plaid shirt and black sweatpants, “Your clothes kind of got a little shredded. These should fit you. You –uh – you need a hand?“

“I’m quite capable of dressing myself, Stark,” Loki snapped. Tony could sense the indignation he was aiming for, but he just sounded tired. Tony took a step back anyway, and watched Loki wriggle into the clothes with some effort. After he’d slipped his arms through the sleeves of his shirt Tony returned to the bed and began to fasten the buttons, much to Loki’s disgust.

“So, your little naptime guest,” Tony said, “What happened?”

“That’s none of your concern.”

“If Thanos is really on his way, I’d say that is my concern. Especially if we’re babysitting your ass after you’ve pissed him off. So you might wanna start talking, ‘cause I’m sure Director Fury would just love to send you back into Thanos’ open arms.”

After scowling at Tony, Loki began to cooperate, albeit grudgingly. “He wants this back,” he said, pulling the purple stone from under his shirt.

“That’s one of the Infinity Gems?” Tony’s words raised a look of surprise from Loki. “Thor turned up not long after you did. He filled us in.”

Loki wasn’t thrilled to hear that Thor had followed him from Asgard, but before he could say anything else they heard the apartment door open and Steve walked into the bedroom.

“Hey Tony, do you want me to take over watch– oh,” he said as he saw Loki sitting up in bed, while Tony said a silent thanks that Steve hadn’t wandered in before Loki had put some clothes on. Seeing the god of mischief in all his glory would have been way too much for Steve’s old-fashioned sensibilities. “You’re awake.”

“Very astute.”

Tony watched the pair regard each other suspiciously for a moment, until Thor came to stand behind Steve, roused by the sound of their voices. His emergence caused Loki’s every muscle to tense. Thor stayed silent, but his mouth opened and closed a few times as he searched for something to say to his wayward younger brother.

“Back to Thanos,” Tony said to Loki, eager to cut the tension that had settled in the room, “What’s his plan?”

“He wishes to cause death and devastation across the nine realms, as a display of love for Mistress Death.”

“Mistress Death? Who is she, his dominatrix?” None of the other men seemed familiar with the word, which was probably for the best.

“She is the physical embodiment of death,” Loki said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He was clearly annoyed at having to spell everything out for them. “Thanos means to use the Infinity Gauntlet in carrying out his plans–“

“The gauntlet you helped him steal,” Steve interrupted, his tone accusatory as he folded his arms across his chest. Loki spared him a withering glance before turning his attention back to Tony.

“He’s a sharp one,” Loki said.

Tony bit the inside of his cheek to fight the urge to laugh. The others weren’t quite so amused by their guest’s attitude.

“Watch your tongue, Loki,” warned Thor. Loki just smirked at his brother in response.

“Now that Thanos has the glove,” he continued, “He requires the soul gems that power it to wield the full force of the gauntlet. He must not be allowed to gather them all.”

“Why would you come to us?” Steve was incredulous. It was one thing to be discussing magical gloves with the power to wipe out universes, and another to be having the conversation with Loki, the man none of them would be surprised to find doing the obliterating.

“You defeated his army once before, did you not?”

“But if he’d be all-powerful with the glove, why would he need to bring an army?”

“He won’t be all-powerful until he gets that gem back from you,” Tony filled in, pointing at the stone around Loki’s neck. Steve and Thor moved closer to peer at the jewel as Loki smiled at Tony, glad he wasn’t completely surrounded by idiots. The warmth in the look was a surprise, so far removed from his usual devilish grins. It was a definite improvement, though Tony reminded himself that it was probably a side effect of all the drugs they’d pumped into his system.

He wasn’t entirely convinced, however. He saw something else in Loki’s eyes, unguarded in his weakened state, which seemed a hell of a lot like admiration. That was a pretty big deal coming from Loki, one of the few people Tony had ever met who was even more narcissistic than he himself was, but it wasn’t completely unprecedented. After all, he had been uncharacteristically civil to Tony in their interactions last year – aside from the little throwing-him-out-of-a-window incident – and Tony wondered at the time if Loki had been amazed to find someone who could match his intelligence.

It had been something of a revelation to Tony as well. It was rare for him to encounter someone so clever, and it always made such a refreshing change to not constantly have to edit himself so people could understand what he was talking about. Of course, Bruce had a brilliant mind and was plenty capable of keeping up with Tony – and their friendship was that much stronger because of it – but it wasn’t the same. The intellectual sparring with Loki had been more exhilarating than their physical battles, so much so that Tony almost wished S.H.I.E.L.D. had taken Loki into their custody rather than letting Thor return him to Asgard. He’d longed to study that twisted mind, figure out what makes Loki tick, what had made him turn into the monster he’d become. Maybe now he’d get his chance, if Loki didn’t kill them all first.

Tony returned the smile.

“So Thanos will arrive to claim what is his,” Thor said, looking down at Loki with a slight frown knitting his blonde eyebrows together. He seemed relieved Loki wasn’t critically injured, though there was a whole smorgasbord of other emotions written in his face – disappointment, anger, hurt, apprehension... – and Tony wasn’t prepared to even attempt to figure out what was going on with the estranged siblings. It would take an immensely talented psychiatrist to get to the bottom of that mess.

Loki nodded, the tiny grimace that flitted across his face for a split second the only suggestion the movement had hurt. “And I suspect this will be the first realm to face his wrath.”

“Okay,” said Tony, far too brightly, “It looks like we need a plan.”


	3. Chapter 3

Tony almost slid off his chair as the sound of Jarvis’ voice echoing through his workshop woke him. He clutched at the table to steady himself and searched for his cup of coffee with bleary eyes, grimacing as he gulped down a disgusting mouthful of cold liquid. _Coffee... need fresh coffee. Fresh hot coffee, preferably without anything floating in it – ugh, what is that anyway?_ He shook his head as he made himself another drink. _I don’t even want to know_.

“Sir,” Jarvis reminded him, “The others have been waiting for you for almost twenty minutes now.”

“Then it won’t hurt them to wait another two, will it?”

“I suppose not, sir. Would you like me to tell them you’re on your way?”

“Please,” Tony said. Catching a look at his reflection as he headed to the elevator, he stopped in his tracks, hot coffee sloshing over the top of his mug. His hair was flattened down on one side and there were slight creases in his cheek from where he’d fallen asleep at his worktable, but both were easily fixable. On the whole he looked alright. At least there was no drool caked on his face this time, though if he could get away with turning up to conferences with board members looking so dishevelled, he could probably roll into an Avengers meeting in his underwear and get nothing more than disapproving looks. People were usually more concerned with whether or not he’d actually show up than the state he was in if he did.

Tony had no idea what time he’d fallen asleep. That in itself wasn’t unusual, but he normally managed to make it into bed at some point during the night – he’d woken up in his workshop every day for almost a week now. He remembered seeing the sun start to rise this morning, and the next thing he knew Jarvis was telling him he was running late. _So sunrise would have been just before 7am –_ he checked his watch: 9:49 – _almost three hours sleep. Well, at least it’s an improvement._

 

“How do you manage to be late to a meeting two floors down from your apartment?” Steve rolled his eyes as Tony strolled into Loki’s room. He and Bruce were sat at the small table while Fury stood against the wall beside them, all wanting to keep as far from Loki as possible. It was a reasonable position – he did not look happy to have been kept waiting with some of his least favourite people crammed into his space, glowering at Tony before closing his eyes as if he was trying to pretend none of them were there. Not that any of the others looked particularly thrilled to be in Loki’s company either. Even Thor seemed to be keeping his distance, leaving as big a gap between his and Loki’s seats on the couch as possible.

“It’s a gift,” Tony shrugged as he moved to sit down, batting Loki’s elbow off the armrest of the couch to perch on it.

“Now all of us are here,” Fury said with a pointed look at Tony, “What do we know so far?”

“We know Thanos has the gauntlet, that he needs the Infinity gems to power it, before he can start on the causing-mindless-chaos-and-destruction-across-the-universe he’s apparently fond of. We have one of the gems already.” Tony gestured at Loki, and Fury held his hand out for the stone he pulled from beneath his shirt. The pair stared at each other for what felt like an eternity until Loki finally relented and handed Fury the gem.

“What does it do?”

“From what I have witnessed so far it holds some telekinetic power. It may have other qualities in addition which I have yet to determine.”

Fury turned that over in his mind as he inspected the stone. “How many others does he have?”

“None, unless he’s discovered more in my absence.”

“So,” Steve cut in, “If Thanos gets his hands on all the Infinity gems, he becomes all-powerful, destroys the world, and there’s nothing we can do to stop him.”

Loki nodded, and the others took a moment to consider the weight of the situation. It was Bruce who finally broke the silence.

“How long do you think we have before Thanos comes for the one you took?”

“I imagine he will strive to collect the rest of the gems first, so he may have more power to take it without resistance.”

“Wait, I thought he wasn’t unstoppable until he has all of the gems.”

“He will still possess all of the powers the individual stones bestow.” Tony caught a hint of condescension in Loki’s voice as he answered Fury, yet the others seemed too surprised by Loki’s compliance to notice the disdain. You could be damn sure they didn’t trust him though – they still had no way of knowing that this wasn’t part of Thanos’ plan, sending Loki to them for help so he could kill them with their backs turned.

Tony didn’t believe that, likely though it was. As manipulative as Loki is, if he wanted them to believe he meant them no harm he’d surely be making some show of reformation – the creature slumped into the couch beside Tony was still the same old contemptuous, arrogant Loki they all knew and loathed. There was something different about him this time, though. Tony sensed a real terror lurking underneath him. Thanos had broken him on some level, and he was too wrecked to hide it completely. The nightmares he’d been having had been proof enough of that. Tony had lost count of how many times he’d witnessed Loki tossing and turning in his sleep, his face contorted in fear, in the two days he’d been unconscious.

The voice coming from beside him jolted Tony out of his thoughts, and he brought his attention back to the conversation at hand. Everyone was staring at Loki as he spoke.

“Thanos sees your people as mere vermin–“

“No wonder you two got on so well, then.” Loki shot Fury a glare for his interruption before continuing.

“He would likely consider this the perfect place to test his new abilities, before moving on to realms which pose more of a threat.”

“Asgard,” said Thor, his mouth set in a grim line.

Loki turned to meet his brother’s eyes. “Asgard.”

“We should have some time before Thanos put his plan into action,” Fury said, stepping into the middle of the room to address them in turn. “Thor, how easily can you travel to and from Asgard?”

“With the Bifrost rebuilt it is a simple enough journey.”

“Good, then go home – keep a listen out for any word of Thanos finding another gem or other worlds coming under attack. Check back in with us every few days. In the meantime, we can’t just sit around here with our thumbs up our asses until Thanos makes his move; we need a way to find him. Stark, Dr Banner, any ideas?”

“I think I’ll be able to put something together.” Tony’s mind was already whirling with possibilities. “I might need the gem, though.”

“Fine, Loki can help you then.” Loki raised an eyebrow at that, but he kept quiet.

“What about Clint and Natasha,” Steve asked, “Should we call them back in?”

“I don’t think they’ll be needed yet. Next time they check in we’ll let them know the situation, see if they can wrap things up a little quicker.”

Steve accepted Fury’s response readily enough. “I guess that’s everything then.” They all began to file out of the room, though there was still one question Tony was compelled to find an answer for. He leant against the kitchen counter, waiting patiently as Thor stood and addressed Loki.

“Stay out of trouble, brother. Father will be watching you closely. And I imagine the humans will be less lenient with you than he, should you cause any problems.”

Loki nodded, watching Thor in silence as he bade goodbye to Tony and left the room. He practically deflated after his brother’s exit, what little strength he had completely used up by the discussion.

“You look like shit,” Tony said once the door had clicked shut. That was a slight understatement, he realised as he studied Loki more closely. His skin looked almost grey, making the dark circles under his eyes stand out even more; he had a few days worth of stubble; his long hair hung limp around his gaunt face; and his body trembled violently with every tiny movement he made. Tony was amazed this was the same person who’d been so majestic the last time they’d met. Loki opened his eyes to shoot Tony a dark look, but it didn’t dissuade him from his questioning. “Did you sleep?”

Loki didn’t answer. Tony sat back down on the couch next to him and prodded his arm, feeling thick bandages under his finger as Loki hissed in pain. _Oops_. “You still having nightmares?”

“What would you know of it?”

“Quite a bit, I think. Thanos and the Chitauri, they live on this creepy mothership-type thing in space, right?“

Loki’s eyes snapped open again and he frowned at Tony as he replied. “You’ve seen it?”

“I’ve seen it. I caught a glimpse of it for a few seconds back when you opened up the portal. That was enough. I was a wreck after – it haunted me for months.”

“That hardly compares.”

“I know, I just meant...” he trailed off, trying to figure out what he did actually mean, and why he was even here trying to comfort Loki, “I get it.”

Loki stared at him in silence, not sure what to make of Tony’s confession, until Tony spoke again.

“How bad is he?” It was a question Tony didn’t really want the answer to, though they needed to be prepared. Better to panic now than when Thanos makes his move. And he’d long since adjusted to life in a near constant state of fatigue, so what harm could a few more sleepless nights do?

“Bad.”

“Then why did you steal the gem from him, if he’s so terrifying?”

“I took the gem to ensure my survival for a while longer,” Loki said slowly as he fought to stay alert, “I would have been slain had I not managed to escape with it.”

“He didn’t do this to you because of your sticky fingers?”

The corner of Loki’s mouth twitched at the expression. “No. I’m sure that punishment still awaits me.”

“Then why did he do it?”

“I had outlasted my usefulness.”

“Wow. He sounds like a psychopath.” _Sure, because nothing else we’ve heard about him so far has screamed that._

“I would have done the same.”

“Oh,” Tony said, “So he’s definitely a psychopath, then.”

That drew a chuckle from Loki, the sound quickly choked off as he clutched at his broken ribs with a grimace.

“I’ll let you get some sleep,” Tony said as he pushed himself up off the couch. Loki struggled to do the same. “You need me to help–“

“I can manage.” The pained noise in his throat betrayed the tone of his words and Tony rolled his eyes, stepping back towards Loki.

“Come on, darling.” He tugged Loki off the couch and wrapped a steadying arm around his waist as they moved to the bedroom. Relief washed across Loki’s face as he collapsed onto the bed.

“I didn’t need you to do that.” He opened his eyes to see Tony still standing above him and raised an eyebrow. “You can leave now.”

“Right, leaving now. Sleep tight. I’ll let you know when I need your help.”

***

Loki listened closely to the human’s exit. He would not be surprised to find Stark still lurking, though hopefully whatever work he was obliged to begin would distract him until Loki had vigour enough to deal with him.

Sleep threatened to consume Loki, and as much as he tried to fight it, he knew it was a futile endeavour. He had passed far beyond simple weariness, what little energy he possessed depleted by his effort of withstanding the agony coursing through him. So he let his body relax, breathing deeply and enjoying his solitude as he slipped into unconsciousness, for he knew full well it would not be long before Thanos again inserted himself into Loki’s unguarded mind. He felt the waking world fall away from him, sinking into the blackness until–

“ _Loki..._ ”

He jolted into a sitting position on the bed, the swift movement sending pain tearing through his body. The jeering voice still echoed in his head as he tried to regain control of his breathing, and he felt thick, hot liquid soaking through his bandages and trickling down his back. Loki slumped forward and let his despair swallow him for the moment, tears spilling from his bloodshot eyes.

***

Tony sat in his workshop, distracted by the large computer screen playing the surveillance feed of Loki’s room. Loki had been asleep for less than twenty minutes before he shot upright with a pained yell, his gasps turning into quiet sobs as Tony noticed the light shine off wet cheeks.

“ _Fuck_ ,” he whispered. He’d never expected to see such vulnerability from Loki, and it made Tony more worried about Thanos than anything else they’d heard about him.


	4. Chapter 4

Two days later Tony still hadn’t made any progress developing a way to locate Thanos, his plans forgotten in the wake of witnessing Loki’s breakdown. The surveillance feed was playing, as it had been continuously since he left Loki’s room, and Tony’s vision came back into focus at the sign of movement on the screen. His eyes followed Bruce as he began to check on Loki’s injuries, and Tony winced at the sight of bare skin that still looked an awful shade of purple in the muted colours onscreen.

Tony hadn’t left his workshop since the meeting. The footage from Loki’s room had transfixed him, to the point where six hours would fly by without him realising and he only snapped back to reality when Fury called for a progress update. He’d had more than a few internal debates over whether or not he should go to see Loki, always deciding against it – as much as Loki looked like he needed a friend right now, Tony doubted that he would want any of them showing him sympathy, and he certainly wouldn’t react kindly to the news that Tony had been watching him for days, harmless though his intentions were.

_You wanted to study him,_ he thought, eyes fixing on the growing pile of blood-soaked bandages next to Loki. _Be careful what you wish for_.

He’d expected to be dismayed as he learned more about Loki, but not for the reason he found himself staring in horror when Loki desperately tried to ward off sleep or woke in terror at another nightmare after his exhaustion finally overcame him. It all struck a little too close to home for Tony. His small glimpse into the void had been disturbing enough, and Loki had been there under Thanos’ control for God knows how long – Tony could only imagine how much that experience would have traumatised him.

Thor’s entrance put a stop to Tony’s brooding.

“Tony Stark,” he said, smiling broadly, “Good day.”

“Hey. When did you get back?”

 “Just a few moments ago.” He’d stepped further into the room towards Tony before catching sight of Loki on the screen. As he saw the full extent of his brother’s wounds for the first time his eyes widened in shock.

“You guys heal quick, right? He already looks a lot better than he did.”

“Yes.” Tony was surprised Thor had even heard his question, he replied so absently. He hadn’t taken his eyes off Loki. “He will be well soon enough.” He didn’t look entirely convinced, though.

“Are you going to go see him?”

“Loki would not want my company,” Thor said, his voice laced with sadness, “Yet if he discovered I had been here without visiting him he would no doubt hold it against me. I suppose it is better to be resented for caring too much than for caring too little.”

“Sounds about right. You’re still not giving up on him then?”

“He has given me every reason to. But we were close once, and I long for the return of those days, when he was not so twisted by his rage and jealousy.”

Tony nodded, unsure of how to respond. It was strange hearing Thor’s thoughts on Loki, seeing the struggle to reconcile the memories of his little brother with the man he’d become, and he realised how difficult it must have been for Thor when Loki first came to Earth. _And I thought my family had issues..._

“I guess you’re after Fury,” he said, more to ease the silence than anything else, “Jarvis?”

“Director Fury has just arrived on the third floor, heading towards conference room B, sir. I have informed him of Thor’s arrival.”

Thor pulled himself away from the screen reluctantly and made his way to the elevator. “Thank you, Tony.”

“No problem.”

The doors closed, and Tony turned back to the screen. He closed the feed, finally beginning to focus on his work.

***

Loki’s head felt like lead, and he forced his eyes open before he slipped into unconsciousness. There was a chill in the air, bordering on uncomfortable, but for now he relished it. The feel of the cold on his skin was a welcome distraction from the pain. With difficulty he crossed his small chamber to inspect his wounds in the mirror, and he was taken aback by the sight that greeted him.

Surely he could not have changed so much in such a short passage of time?

Loki studied his face, the sight of his injuries forgotten. He had the same hair; the same complexion; the same features; yet he still looked unfamiliar somehow, as if someone had recreated him from a description. All the elements of Loki were in place, though it lacked the spark, the essence that made him truly Loki.

He tore himself away from the mirror when a knock at the door sounded. He could think of no-one who would show him the courtesy of awaiting his permission to enter. Thor – _of course_ – let himself in and froze when he saw Loki’s abused frame.

“Are you in much pain?”

“I’m fine,” Loki said abruptly as he began to dress himself. He sensed Thor step towards his turned back, thankfully continuing past Loki to sit on the bed instead of making an insulting attempt to help him. It was perhaps the least convincing lie Loki had uttered in his many years, yet Thor did not push the matter further, and the two former brothers stayed silent for long minutes before Thor sighed and spoke again.

“I wish I could understand you, brother.” He glanced up at Loki, still standing with guarded eyes fixed on him, and patted the mattress beside him. “Sit. You look weary.”

It was pointless to argue – stubbornness had always been one of Thor’s most irritating traits – so Loki took his seat, mindful to keep some distance between them still. Silence reigned once more.

“Why are you here?” Loki said at last.

“I miss you.”

Loki laughed, a short, bitter sound that struck like a blow, his glorious not-brother balking at the noise. “Why, do you feel less noble when I am not present to make you shine so much brighter in comparison?”

Thor’s jaw clenched, his knuckles turning while as he balled his hands into fists, yet his tone was calm when he spoke. “You test me, brother. But your actions always spoke louder than your words. After all your lies, few could still trust that silver tongue.”

“What good would a liar be if he did not occasionally speak the truth?”

“If you truly believe your only purpose was to enhance me in the eyes of others, I fear your mind is tainted beyond repair.” He pushed himself to his feet, towering over Loki and lowering a gentle hand to his head. “But I do not think you are lost to us, Loki.”

“The Loki you would see return is dead,” Loki spat. His blood boiled, a lifetime of anger bubbling up within him, yet sorrow still ached in his heart. He knew there could be no forgiveness for his betrayals. All that awaited him was hatred and mistrust if he returned to Asgard. Loki was unsure if he even wanted to. Few joyous memories remained that had not become twisted into something cold and empty by his rage. But where else did he belong if not Asgard? He clamped his eyes shut to keep his tears from falling.

“Then I shall mourn for him. And I shall welcome this new Loki as brother.”

“We can never go back to the way we were.”

“No,” said Thor, “Though I pray we can learn to love and respect one another again. I am not prepared to cast you aside yet, brother.”

He pressed a kiss to Loki’s forehead and left the room, leaving Loki alone with his thoughts once again. He felt numb, his conflicting emotions having overwhelmed him and left him too battered to feel anything.


	5. Chapter 5

“What’s the purpose of this?”

They were in the workshop the next day, Loki sprawled in Tony’s chair as Tony scanned the Infinity gem, in a position fairly improper for a prince, or god, or whatever the hell Loki was, but given the state of him, Tony was unsurprised he’d flopped into the chair and not attempted to rearrange himself. His injuries were improving, far quicker than any of them had anticipated, though while his physical strength returned with each passing day, he still seemed to be deteriorating. The lack of sleep was obviously taking its toll.

“When you were unconscious I did a few tests on the gem–“

“I’m aware,” Loki interrupted, sounding thoroughly bored as he spoke, and Tony fought the urge to roll his eyes at him. Loki had agreed to stay on his best behaviour while in S.H.I.E.L.D.’s care, much to his displeasure, so Tony figured the least they could do was let him sulk unhindered.

“Right. Well I picked up some funky energy readings, which I suspect are from coming into contact with you and Thanos, and if I can isolate the trace he left on the stone we might be able to use it to track him.” Loki was still unimpressed. “Okay, I was expecting a little more enthusiasm than that. You know, I do have some idea what I’m doing; you are working with a fully-fledged genius here.”

“By Midgardian standards, yes.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Tony noticed a smile tug at Loki’s mouth as he lifted his head to meet Tony’s eyes.

“Surely a fully-fledged genius such as yourself can work it out. Or perhaps your intellect only seems remarkable in relation to the idiots you choose to surround yourself with.” He glanced away to inspect some of the objects on the table next to him. “Your technology is impressive, but it can hardly compete with this:” Loki flicked his wrist slightly, grimacing as the movement tugged at one of the healing gashes on his arm, and the table was suddenly covered in blue flames. They were gone before Tony could react.

“How exactly was that helpful?” Tony tried to keep the shock from his voice as he examined the damage. If it weren’t for the faint heat radiating from the table, no-one would have known anything had happened. He had to hand it to Loki, it was a pretty cool trick.

“It merely served to prove a point.”

“Which was?”

“That my skills are superior. Each item you devise has its own select few uses, yes? A dozen objects for a dozen purposes. With little more than the magic that flows through my veins and the knowledge of how to use it, I am capable of countless things you cannot imagine.” Tony half expected Loki to finish by saying ‘so there’ and sticking his tongue out. The arrogant little shit.

“Oh sweetheart, you do not want to get into a dick measuring contest with Tony Stark.”

“Dick measuring?” Loki repeated.

“Metaphorically. Unless you want to get literal. Although from what I’ve seen I think I might lose that competition – by a fraction.”

“I believe it is customary for one to avert their eyes while another is in a compromising position,” he said with a teasing smile on his face, eyebrow raised in mock condescension. Apparently he didn’t mind Tony taking a peek or two. Though in Tony’s defence, he’d had to look at Loki’s body when they tended to his injuries, and he could hardly be blamed for enjoying the view.

“What can I say? I’ve never been one for custom.”

“It hardly sets us on even footing, that you’ve witnessed me so exposed.”

“’I’ll show you mine if you show me yours’, huh?” _Oh_ _Tony, you really need stop flirting with the evil god, like five minutes ago,_ he thought _. Even if he does seem to be enjoying it_.

“You’ve already seen mine,” Loki said smoothly. His eyes were practically drilling into Tony, which was more than a little unnerving. No doubt he was loving making Tony squirm. Well, he’d let Loki play his games. He’d rather have Loki distracted with him than plotting how to take them all down as soon as they’d served their purpose, anyway.

But their flirtation went no further, to Tony’s disappointment. He would have much preferred it to the alternative.

He kicked himself for not seeing it coming. He’d given in to temptation earlier and opened up the security feed again, and a slice of it became visible once the scan of the gem was complete. It was only a tiny image of Loki’s bedroom, but it was enough. Loki’s eyes narrowed as he recognised the room, and he turned back to face Tony with a face like thunder.

“You’ve been spying on me?”

“Not spying. I just...” Tony trailed off. He had no idea what he could say that Loki wouldn’t take offense to, so he settled on telling him the truth. “I was worried. You don’t seem yourself – which should probably be wonderful, actually, but I’m thinking it’s a bad sign. I need to know how you’re doing, ‘cause you’re the only one who can help us stop Thanos, and no offense, but it looks like you’re losing it.”

“I’m fine!” Loki snapped. He was angry. He was really angry. Though he hadn’t killed or maimed Tony yet, so he was inclined to believe Loki knew he was right.

“Yeah? How much sleep have you had in the last three days? A couple of hours? How many times have you woken up screaming after another nightmare?”

Loki had no argument to offer. He sighed, and rubbing his tired eyes, said, “Who else has seen this?”

“Just me, whoever’s been watching on S.H.I.E.L.D.’s end, and probably Nick Fury.” Tony’s eyes passed over the familiar surroundings until he spotted what he was searching for, and dragged another chair over to sit in front of Loki. “I don’t know how much they’ve seen, but it’s probably not a lot. I mean, not as much as–“

“As much as you have?” Loki filled in for him. Tony shrugged. “And how much have you seen?”

Tony’s silence told Loki everything he needed to know. He pushed himself from the chair and stormed out the room.

“Crap,” Tony said to the empty air after the door slammed behind Loki. He hadn’t bothered to wait for the elevator, so keen to get away from Tony he’d risk incurring the wrath of Nick Fury by wandering around the building unsupervised. _Like he cares about that_ , Tony reminded himself. Besides, if anyone would face hell from Fury it’d be him for letting Loki leave his sight.

He sighed. “Jarvis, can you see where Loki’s going?”

“He appears to be heading to his apartment, sir.” That was a small mercy. He’d give him some time to calm down before going to apologise. In the meantime, he still had work to do, though as he turned back to his worktable he couldn’t keep his eyes from straying to the feed still running in the bottom corner of the screen. As soon as he saw Loki step into the living area he was up, the chair still spinning in his wake as the elevator doors closed after him.

***

Loki fumed as he stalked down the hallways, leaving a trail of perplexed and nervous S.H.I.E.L.D. agents staring after him. _Let them stare_ , he thought, _I’ll see them burn soon enough_. Reaching the stairway he paused, his body already aching even before he climbed the three flights of stairs between this floor and that of his chambers, yet he pushed on, the pain seeping into his muscles only serving to fuel his rage.

He had expected no less, of course – regardless of their other failings, the humans were not foolish enough to trust him after his previous transgressions – and he would have remained unconcerned by their prying had they not witnessed such distress on his part. These past days had been hellish, the agony of his wounds and Thanos’ threat looming over him both pushing him to despair, though he would not let himself be bested by this situation. He was already healing, his strength beginning to return enough to use his magics, and while Thanos had so far clawed into his mind whenever he succumbed to fatigue, surely he could not devote all his time to terrorising Loki?

Comforted by that thought, he returned to his room with intentions of attempting to sleep once more, though there was first the more pressing matter to take care of. He scoured the main room with more scrutiny than he had ever offered it before, inspecting every surface for some sign of the recording device he knew to be hidden somewhere. It was a diminutive space, sparsely furnished, so it should not take long to find the wretched item.

His search was interrupted, however, by a knock at the door. He made no response.

“Loki? Can I come in?” _Stark_. He peered around the door, blanching slightly at the glare Loki shot him, though it was insufficient to deter him from entering. Loki ignored his presence, instead turning back to continue hunting for the device.

“You won’t find them, the cameras.” Stark’s voice came from behind Loki as he crossed the room to sit down.

“One of your designs, I take it?”

“Yeah.” A pause. “I’m sorry.”

“No you aren’t.”

“Not about putting surveillance on you. We had to, we’re not stupid. But I’m sorry for prying into your more, uh, private moments. I just wanted to know you were okay. So, how are you?”

“Spare me your pity,” he spat. This was worse than being spied on, having to suffer these false displays of concern from the pathetic creatures surrounding him. How could they think him so weak?

_Because you acted so_ , he scolded himself. Blood pooled around his fingertips as he dug his nails into his palms hard enough to pierce the skin.

“It’s not pity,” Tony started, but Loki would not let him finish.

“Oh of course.” Venom dripped from every syllable as he spoke. “Because you _understand_.”

“More than anyone else is likely to. You won’t find it,” Stark said, more firmly this time as Loki once again resumed his search. Loki threw himself down next to him in frustration, a string of curses flowing through his head, and he felt the human shift beside him. He reached down into his pocket, withdrawing the jewel Loki had left downstairs. “Here, you forgot this.”

Loki tucked the chain back under his shirt in silence. All the while Stark’s eyes never left him. “Have you figured out how it works yet?”

“No, but I will in time,” Loki replied. They both lost themselves to their own thoughts for a short while, until Stark’s voice pierced the still air once more.

“I think I could use a drink.” He rose to his feet and turned to address Loki. “You want one?”

Loki regarded him for a moment before nodding.


	6. Chapter 6

“Easy, tiger.” Tony raised his eyebrows as Loki downed his third drink. He was still on his first, though given Loki’s mood it was understandable he’d want to knock them back, even if he did seem to have cheered up a little since trading his room for Tony’s penthouse. They sat overlooking the bustling city until Loki stood and moved to the window.

“Completely different view at night, isn’t it?” Tony said, pushing himself to his feet to join Loki. It really was a stunning view. You could see for miles on a clear day, and at night the twinkling lights spreading into the distance looked beautiful. Tony never seemed to have time to give it the attention it deserved. “Is it much like this on Asgard?”

“No.” Tony hadn’t really expected Loki to respond. He’d barely said two words since they left his apartment.

“Do you miss it?”

Silence. Tony noticed Loki’s jaw clench in the low light by the window, before he stalked back to the couch to pour himself another glass of scotch.

“Sensitive subject, I take it?” he pressed on, earning himself another glare from Loki. He should probably let it go – he was still in Loki’s bad books, after all – but now the subject had been raised Tony was too curious to drop it. Thor had said precious little about Loki since they’d been back on Earth, and even last year he refused to share more than necessary. Tony sank down into the supple leather of the couch beside Loki and, reaching for the bottle on the coffee table, continued.

“There’s one thing I wanna know–“

“Just one thing?” Loki replied with so much scepticism in his voice Tony could almost taste it. “Why should I satisfy your curiosity?”

“Out of the goodness of your heart?” Loki laughed at that. Tony had a feeling that would be his reaction.

“Perhaps I could indulge you, if you were to do the same for me.”

“Alright, deal.” It was only after he spoke that Tony realised he may have just signed up to give Loki whatever information he’d need to wreak bloody vengeance on them all.

“That mechanism in your chest,” Loki said, “Did you design it to repel magic?”

“I didn’t even know magic really existed when I made it.” His turn. “Why did you come to us for help? Surely gods would make better allies than a bunch of humans.”

Loki downed another drink before answering. “I have betrayed my kin so many times I suspect they’d consider this a fitting retribution.” He was quiet for a moment before his attention shifted back to the arc reactor. “Is it resistant to all magics?”

“No idea.”

With a huff, Loki said, “Your answers leave much to be desired. I could discover more simply studying the device myself.”

He was up, swinging his leg over Tony’s lap in a heartbeat and pinning him in place, his hand pressed to the arc reactor. Tony was gripped by fear, and a wicked grin spread across Loki’s lips as he felt Tony’s heart race.

“Would you die if I removed it?”

“Yes,” Tony breathed, his voice shaking. He forced more confidence into his tone as he spoke again. “And then you’d be screwed.”

 “I suppose I can wait until you’re no longer of use to me.” Trouble still burned in Loki’s eyes. Magic flared around his fingers, the warm light dissipating when it touched the metal in Tony’s chest, and he cocked his head to the side with a slight frown. “You are an interesting creature, Tony Stark.”

“Thanks. You’re a freaking lunatic.”

“It’s been said.” His hand slid away from the arc reactor, finally. To Tony, it felt like they stayed there for an age, Loki straddling his lap without ever taking his eyes off him, as if he could find out everything he wanted to know if he stared hard enough. Maybe he could. In any case, Tony was 90% sure Loki wasn’t about to kill him, and the situation started to feel strangely intimate.

“You know, the last time I was in a position like this,” he said, “We ended up having sex right here on this couch.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“Nothing. Just wondering where you’re going with this.”

Loki chuckled and leant forward, his hand on the back of the couch keeping Tony from moving away as his lips brushed Tony’s ear. “You couldn’t keep up with me, Stark,” he whispered.

“Is that a challenge?” His hands found their way to Loki’s hips as he spoke. He didn’t think he’d ever gone from terrified to aroused so quickly before.

“I would never dream of it,” Loki said, sliding out of Tony’s grasp and standing, his movements tantalisingly slow and deliberate.

Tony’s sense returned as soon as Loki climbed off his lap, and he poured them both another drink. They didn’t stop there, though. When Tony crawled into bed, he and Loki had managed to empty half his bar, but thankfully that was the only bad decision they made.

 

Tony emerged from under his bed sheets the next morning to silence his ringing phone, desperate for the noise to stop before the pain in his head got any worse. He didn’t dare open his eyes – the light pouring in the windows already stung through his closed eyelids. _I never should have offered Loki that drink..._

He forced himself out of bed to root around for the phone, finding it just as it stopped ringing. _Typical_. But at least the room was plunged into blissful silence once again. He dragged himself into the shower, hoping to feel slightly more alive afterwards.

It was a marginal success. Tony did feel a little better, but as more memories from last night trickled back into his head, he realised with horror just how close he came to doing something stupid with Loki – though he was more worried by how appealing that sounded. Tony would be the first to admit there was a kind of striking beauty to Loki, and he was surprisingly entertaining company once he relaxed. If he wasn’t still officially one of the bad guys, Tony wouldn’t have thought twice about jumping into bed with him.

His phone rang again as he stepped out of the shower, the ringer still painfully loud, and the throbbing in his head worsened. _Nick Fury calling. Oh, great_. More than once during their brief conversation Tony considered hanging up to ease his burgeoning migraine, but thankfully Fury’s voice dropped to a reasonable volume when he finally reached the point of his call.

With a few hours to go until the team’s briefing, Tony made his way down to the workshop, eager to have something to show for the days he’d spent shut away since their last meeting.

“Talk to me, Jarvis,” he called as he stepped out of the elevator, “Am I gonna make Fury proud today?”

“It’s possible, sir. I have found a number of distinct energy traces on the gem, though there are two separate imprints which are stronger than the others.”

“What would I do without you?”

“I dread to think.”

Tony chuckled, settling in at the worktable with relief. His hangover was far from gone, but at least his head stopped spinning when he sat down. Hopefully after another few hours of relative peace in here he’d be better prepared to deal with Fury again later.

“Jarvis, is Loki around?”

“He is in his apartment. Shall I call him down?”

“Mm,” Tony managed through a mouthful of coffee. Gulping down the hot liquid, he elaborated. “Yeah.”

Loki materialised in the room, blinking and looking around in surprise.

“Huh. I didn’t expect you to turn up so quickly. How did you even do that?” Loki lifted his hand to peer at the jewel lying on his palm, and then it dawned on Tony. “The gem?”

Loki didn’t answer. He was still staring at the gem with a furrowed brow, turning it over between his fingers to inspect it from every angle.

“How does it work?” Tony pressed on, almost as fascinated by the stone as Loki was.

“I’m not sure. I was holding it when your computer informed me you required my presence, and then here I was.” He glanced up and laid eyes on Tony, his frown melting into a grin as he took in the sight of him. “Feeling a little worse for wear this morning, are we?”

“Shut up. I’m never drinking with you again.”

“Pity.”

Tony couldn’t tell if Loki was being sarcastic or not. At the moment, he didn’t really care. He took another long swig of coffee and gestured for Loki to have a seat, pushing the open box of doughnuts across the table to him as he sat down. Loki took one without sparing a glance at the box, his eyes still fixed on the Infinity gem, and began to eat while Tony explained what he wanted to do.

As soon as Tony finished talking Loki was up and standing in the centre of the room, quietly finishing his food while Tony pointed various scanners at him.

“Is there something specific you need me to do?”

“It shouldn’t make much difference, hopefully, so something easy should be enough. There might be some trial and error, if it doesn’t work. Magic isn’t exactly my area of expertise.”

“Sir, the preliminary scans are complete, and the data has been registered,” announced Jarvis.

“Ready when you are,” Tony said to Loki.

Loki held his palm out flat and watched as a tiny snake materialised and threaded its way around his fingertips. Another snake joined the first and they both coiled around Loki’s hand for a moment until their paths crossed, melting into each other to form a larger serpent that slithered down his forearm.

It was mesmerising to watch. Since first being confronted with Loki’s magic Tony had been fascinated, eager to find out how it worked, how to harness it. There had to be some science behind it, he was sure, and it was only the more pressing issue of Thanos’ threat that kept him from studying Loki and his unusual gifts.

The creature was now large enough to curl from Loki’s shoulder, around his torso and down his thigh as he repeated the process, and Jarvis’ voice cut the silence. “Sir, we have a match.”

Tony turned back to face the screens, sensing Loki move to stand behind him after the snake dissolved into nothing. “So that’s you,” he said, and Loki leant forward to inspect the series of spikes and dips that was his magic. “Does it look like you pictured?”

He didn’t say anything, still staring curiously at the screen. Tony had to admit it felt strange seeing something as intangible as magic reduced to computer data, but for him it was a good sign – it meant he could find a way to understand it.

“I think it’s safe to assume the other energy readings are from Thanos,” he continued. Jarvis had been scanning for some sign of Thanos on the planet, and with a mixture of disappointment and relief Tony saw that the search had been unsuccessful. As much as Tony hated the thought of Thanos off somewhere finding more Infinity gems, they were in no way ready to face him yet if he did come to Earth. “Which means our work here is done.”

“It is?”

“With a little help from S.H.I.E.L.D.’s influence, something matching that trace shows up anywhere in the world we’ll know,” he said with a proud smile.

Loki looked sceptical. “Anywhere in the world?”

“It’s a considerable influence. So we’ve still got some time to kill before Fury demands our presence – any ideas?” Loki pulled the gem from around his neck, the faint light radiating from the purple stone casting his face in an unearthly glow. “Good idea.”

Over an hour later Loki had still made no progress in getting the gem to work. He cursed loudly after once again opening his eyes to find his hand empty save for the stone, and threw himself back into his chair with enough force to send it wheeling backwards a few feet.

Tony didn’t particularly want to be around while Loki’s mood soured, but without much of an excuse to leave he settled for eating another doughnut in silence and letting him brood. He was just about to take another bite when his teeth clamped around thin air, and his eyes flicked up to spot the cake in Loki’s hand. Loki regarded it with interest for a moment and helped himself to a bite, looking inordinately pleased with himself.

“Hey, that was mine!” Tony was too glad to see the gem working to be annoyed, but he still didn’t want Loki to think he could get away with it. Not that his objections would have any impact on Loki’s decision making. “How’d you do it?”

Loki shrugged. “I was hungry.” Doughnut finished, he closed his eyes and focused, and another disappeared from the box to materialise in his hand.

“Very impressive. If my delicious baked goods start vanishing now I’ll know right where to look.”

“Oh I assure you, I plan on branching out into other areas.” As Loki spoke, Tony’s coffee cup appeared in his hand. _Oh no, this game isn’t going to get old_.

“Okay, that’s it,” Tony said in mock ire, crossing the room to Loki’s chair, “Taking my food is one thing, but my coffee? That’s unacceptable.”

He lunged and toppled into an empty chair which skidded further across the floor as Loki disappeared. A laugh sounded from behind him and he turned to see Loki sat in Tony’s vacated seat, the gem in his hand glowing, all traces of his previous frustration gone. He looked fantastic like this, his sharp features softened by his smile and mirth warming his cold eyes, and the budding attraction Tony felt intensified. Keen to guide the conversation back on track before Loki noticed how he had been staring, Tony dragged his chair back towards the table and asked “Do I get to play?”

Loki placed the stone in his palm, and with a lot of concentration – and an intense desire for more caffeine in his system – Tony soon managed to steal his coffee back from Loki.

He stared at the cup in his hand, for once at a loss for words. Eyes wide, he looked to Loki for some indication of how to react, and when he saw the smile that met him, he couldn’t hold in his laugh. Countless possibilities swarmed through his mind. There were so many things he could create which incorporated this power, if only he could find a way to control it. That could wait for now though. He wanted to experiment some more first.

The next half-hour passed far too quickly. Tony and Loki were like children with a new toy, pushing themselves and each other further as they became more adept at controlling the gem. They’d been unwittingly inching closer together as they practised, and Tony burned with desire whenever they touched. It was too much. He wanted Loki, and not even the memories of the hell he’d put them through in the past could diminish Tony’s lust. His eyes fixed on Loki’s lips, chapped and grazed but still so inviting, and before he’d even made the conscious decision to do it, he was leaning forward to brush his own against them.

Tony pulled away almost instantly. _Oh, that was dumb,_ he thought. _In a storied lifetime of terrible decisions, that had to rank at, like, number three at least_. Sure, Loki enjoyed Tony’s company, but last time he checked Loki had nothing but contempt for any of them.

“Sorry,” he said, coughing out a self-conscious laugh as he shifted uncomfortably and tried to think how to salvage the situation now he’d made his true feelings apparent. Loki regarded Tony curiously for a second before pulling him in close and returning his kiss.

There was nothing chaste about it this time. Their mouths slammed together, blood mingling with the taste of coffee on Loki’s breath as the cut on his lip tore open again. Tony flicked his tongue out over the split and Loki growled, tugging Tony forward until their bodies were pressed firmly against each other.

“Keen, are we?”

“Shut up, Stark.” Loki silenced him by biting down on his bottom lip, running his tongue over the sensitive flesh until Tony stood moaning helplessly in his arms.

“The meeting,” Loki finally reminded him, pulling away just enough to get the words out before his lips found Tony’s skin again. Never in Tony’s life had he resented S.H.I.E.L.D.’s interference in his life more than he did right then.

“Shit. Right. We should go,” he said, his words punctuated by quick kisses. Reluctantly they let go of each other and filed into the elevator, Tony silently cursing S.H.I.E.L.D. all the way. As soon as the elevator began its fast descent, he hit the emergency stop button and turned to Loki.

“You know, just because Fury said 3:00,” he said, “That doesn’t mean it’ll actually start at 3:00. I mean, they’ll be expecting me to be late, and they can’t exactly start without me.”

That was enough to convince Loki. He pushed Tony against the wall, their lips connecting again as they rocked their hips together, both gasping and moaning and hungry for more friction until Loki dropped to his knees. The anticipation was almost too much for Tony.

“Oh God, Loki,” he breathed when Loki’s mouth closed around him, a roguish gleam in his eye as he stared up at Tony and moved with more intensity. _He knows what he’s doing, that’s for sure_. Tony moaned again and his hands gripped the back of Loki’s head, fingers threading through that long hair as he thrust into Loki’s mouth.

Tony was close, and Loki could see it. He pulled off, his hands on Tony’s hips keeping him in place.

“I could just leave you like this,” he said, “Aching for release.”

“You won’t.”

“No?”

“No.” Tony pressed his foot gently against the bulge in Loki’s pants, drawing a heavy, shaking breath from him in return. “You want this too.”

Loki pursed his lips, but he relented and within seconds Tony was spilling into his mouth with a shout.

“Okay,” said Tony once he and Loki managed to catch their breath, “Now we should go.”

***

“Stark, is there somewhere else you’d rather be?”

Bruce’s elbow nudged into Tony’s rib, snapping him from his wandering thoughts. He was trying to focus on the meeting, but since most of it so far had consisted of bringing the newly arrived Barton and Romanoff up to speed and seeing if Thor had any news from Asgard, Tony found it hard not to drift off, his eyes constantly finding their way back to Loki. He sat next to Thor – _three guesses which one of them had made that decision_ – gazing absently at the table, clearly paying as much attention as Tony had been.

“Hmm?” Tony finally turned back to look at a scowling Fury.

“I asked you for a progress report. If it’s not too much trouble.”

“The system’s up and running, scanning for Thanos’ presence as we speak. We can’t track him if he’s off-world, but with any luck we’ll know as soon as he makes an appearance.”

“And what do we know about the gem?”

“It’s the space gem, is it not?” Thor cut in, turning to Loki for confirmation. Loki nodded in return, and at everyone else’s raised eyebrows Thor explained his sudden familiarity with the stone. “The All-Father told me a little of the gems and their attributes upon my return to Asgard.”

“You two figured out how to work it yet?” Fury asked Tony and Loki. If he was surprised that they were both focused on the conversation at last, Tony couldn’t see any sign of it in his face. Of course, you don’t end up running an intelligence agency without being pretty adept at playing your cards close to your chest.

“We’re starting to,” he replied, “With some practise it should end up coming in handy.”

“Good. Now if no-one has any questions, I think we’re just about done here.”

“What are we supposed to do until Thanos shows up,” asked Steve, the first time he’d spoken since they all sat down. “Just sit around and wait?”

“It looks like that’s about all we can do. Keep training, make sure you’re ready for him to turn up at any minute, but other than that, I’ve got nothing to suggest. Hopefully Thanos will surface soon and we can get this done nice and quick, though I have a feeling this will be struggle for us. Stark, if you’re done with your work do you think you’d be able to rustle up something that could get some distance between Thanos and the gauntlet, or find a way to diminish its powers? Anything to give us some advantage.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

They all filed out of the room in silence, and Tony sat alone with his thoughts for a moment, contemplating his daunting new task. Loki was waiting for him when he eventually stepped into the corridor.

“Where’s your bodyguard?” Tony said. Loki’s eyes narrowed, and not for the first time Tony wondered how his frequent mood swings didn’t make him dizzy.

“No matter,” he continued, “Jarvis, think you can do anything about that camera?”

“Of course, sir.” The tiny red light on the camera a few feet away blinked out. Thank God Jarvis ran the whole tower. It was an endless nuisance for S.H.I.E.L.D., but Tony considered it their punishment for hijacking his building.

And with that, they were finally alone again. His eyes constantly flicking from one side of the long hallway to the other, Tony slid his hand inside Loki’s pants, working quickly to get him off before anyone caught them.

“Come see me tonight,” Tony said.

Loki nodded. His muscles tensed under his tight t-shirt and he was done, a hushed sigh his only sound as he came in Tony’s hand. The elevator pinged behind them and they pushed away from each other before the doors could open, not a word passing between them as they went their separate ways.


	7. Chapter 7

Loki didn’t show up that night. Nor did he head down to Tony’s workshop the next day, and almost a week later there had still been no sign of him. Tony shrugged it off, busying himself with work to distract from the disappointment he felt, though his thoughts constantly found their way back to Loki.

He sighed as he hit another dead end in his attempt to fulfil Fury’s request. It seemed increasingly likely there was no way to separate Thanos from the gauntlet, and Tony threw his head down in frustration, feeling another tension headache tighten its chokehold on his brain. He couldn’t have had more than five hours sleep all week, spending his nights working on this project after a long day at Stark Industries, only to repeat the cycle the next day. He was starting to feel the strain.

After another ten minutes of staring blankly at his latest discarded idea, Tony gave up. He needed a break, and longed for some company. As much as he loved his teammates, it was only Bruce who could relate to him, and since he was away at a conference for a few days that left one person Tony wanted to see.

He didn’t expect to find armed guards outside Loki’s door.

“Uh... hi,” Tony said cautiously as he approached. He had no idea if he’d be allowed inside, and he dreaded to think what Loki could have been caught doing to warrant this change in S.H.I.E.L.D.’s babysitting enemies policy.

The guard on Tony’s left nodded and unlocked the door. “Five minutes.”

Tony ducked inside. “This is new,” he said, glancing back at the guards as the door closed behind him, “Care to explain?”

“’If I am well enough to wander around with ease, I am well enough to cause trouble’. So I am bound to these chambers.” Loki’s lip curled in distaste as he surveyed the small room. “Asgard’s dungeons are more comfortable.”

“Why don’t you just, you know, poof?”

“Director Fury has the gem.”

“ _What?_ ” Loki said nothing, just tugged down the neckline of his shirt to show there was no chain around his neck, and Tony stormed off to find Fury without another word.

He didn’t even bother to look up when Tony burst unannounced into his office. “Can I help you, Mr. Stark?”

“You took the Infinity gem.”

“I took the artefact of untold power away from the mentally unstable god with a kink for murder and mayhem, yes,” he said, finally raising his eye to meet Tony’s, “And you have a problem with that?”

Tony sat down in the chair opposite Fury and rested his elbows on the desk, leaning too far into Fury’s personal space to be wise, but he didn’t care. _You’re in my castle, darling. You’d damn well better listen to what I have to say_. He couldn’t wait until reconstruction on his Malibu home was complete and he could get out of here. He’d miss being so close to his teammates, sure, but it was worth it to be out from under S.H.I.E.L.D.’s nose.

“How do you expect Loki to help us when you’ve taken the gem away from him?”

“I don’t expect Loki to help us,” replied Fury, “I expect him to turn on us; sell us out to save his own skin. That is, if it turns out this wasn’t all some twisted scheme of his in the first place. ‘Cause that’s the kind of thing he does, remember?”

“So you’re choosing the plan where we definitely die over the one where there’s a chance we might come out on top? Sounds logical.”

“What’s your genius plan then, Tony?”

“Give Loki back the gem.”

“Out of the question.”

“You said yourself facing Thanos won’t be easy,” Tony said, fighting to keep calm, “If we’ve got this great mystical stone and someone powerful enough to use it, why are we taking that advantage away from ourselves?”

Fury rubbed at his forehead in frustration. “There’s only one way I’ll even consider it,” he said at last, “The gem stays in your possession, Loki only uses it under your supervision and he doesn’t do anything without consulting you first. Sound good?”

“Wonderful. So does that mean he’s allowed out of his room again? ‘Cause it’s gonna be pretty difficult for me to be with him and work on your latest project–“

“He goes nowhere but your workshop,” Fury said sternly. What was he expecting, Tony to let Loki run off and cause havoc for kicks? “And if he so much as breaks a glass or looks at someone funny, it’s on you.”

“Got it.”

“Then congratulations, you just became Loki’s babysitter.”

 

It was with a triumphant smile that Loki walked into the workshop the next day, strolling in like he owned the place and barely offering Tony a glance as he studied Tony’s plans on the screens around the room.

“Your humans become uneasy when I wander the halls,” he stated.

“It’s nothing personal – folks tend to get a little twitchy around people who tried to take over the world and killed a bunch of their co-workers. It’s a basic human flaw. You’re not supposed to be roaming around, anyway.”

“I came straight here,” Loki said, “These new rules of yours leave little opportunity to amuse myself.”

“I’m sure you’ll find a way.” Mischief danced in Loki’s eyes. A change of topic was definitely in order, before he could act on whatever thought had just occurred to him.

“If you’re that bored, I could use your help with this. ‘Cause I’m drawing a blank.” There had to be a way to separate Thanos from the gauntlet, and Tony was sure he’d find it eventually, though it had already been two weeks since Loki arrived and they had no idea how many Infinity gems Thanos had found in that time. He couldn’t afford to take long working this out.

“You wanted to open another portal?” The image of the Tesseract onscreen had caught Loki’s eye.

“I thought if we could get Thanos through one we’d be able to get the glove back without him killing us all. But that doesn’t solve the problem of getting it away from him in the first place,” Tony sighed.

“What about the space gem?”

“Would that work? If he’s collecting the other gems couldn’t they counteract its power?”

Loki stayed silent, looking back over the rejected plans deep in thought. At least he was distracted from his craving for mischief for the time being.

“There’s still time,” he said at last, “The gems are difficult to obtain – it could be months before he’s ready to make his move.”

“But we can’t just sit around and wait for that to happen.” Tony buried his head in his hand. He was feeling more than a little hopeless. Judging by what he did to Loki, Thanos would be a tough fight for the Avengers even without the Infinity gauntlet, and the thought of a behemoth, already powerful enough to beat a god half to death then claw into his mind from worlds away, equipped with near infinite power made Tony’s blood run cold.

He glanced back up to see Loki watching him.

“You can defeat him,” he said with a softness to his voice Tony had never heard before, and his desire came flooding back to the surface.

“You sound confident,” Tony replied, trying to snap himself out of his lust-filled daze.

“You managed to stop me.”

“I thought you wanted us to stop you.”

“Well yes, but that did not mean I made it easy for you.” A seductive smile played across Loki’s lips as he caught the look on Tony’s face. “Is something the matter, Stark?”

The air between them felt stiflingly hot, and Tony’s heart was beating so loud he was sure Loki could hear it. That velvet tone had done nothing to help Tony’s arousal. “I’m just finding it hard to concentrate all of a sudden.”

He stood, closing the gap between them, and all he had to do now was stretch forward to be within nibbling distance of that long neck. The sensible part of his brain screamed for him to stop, to forget anything had ever happened between them and let his desire pass, but Tony had never exactly been great at resisting temptation. Besides, when he could have almost anyone, what could be hotter than having someone he really, really shouldn’t?

His mind was made up. His mouth found Loki’s, and within seconds they were pressed firmly against each other as Loki’s lips trailed down to Tony’s neck.

“Sir–“ interrupted Jarvis.

“Not now, Jarvis.”

“Sir,” he continued regardless, “Captain Rogers is on his way up.”

“Shit.” Tony pushed Loki away to frantically straighten up his appearance. “Find me later?”

Loki nodded and turned to stalk out of the room, leaving Tony to try and find the most natural looking seating position that would hide his erection. Fortunately it was a subject he had a fair amount of experience in, and Steve didn’t suspect a thing when he entered.

“What’s up, Steve?”

“Nothing, really.” He shrugged. “Thought I’d see how you were getting on down here.”

Tony eyed his teammate shifting uncomfortably in the workshop, unsure of what to do with himself as he regarded some of the objects scattered on the tables with suspicion.

“No sign of Thanos yet. As soon as we get a hit you’ll know.” He was anxious to end their conversation and pick up where things left off with Loki, but he forced himself to keep up a façade of normality. “Getting antsy, Cap?”

“It just feels like we’ve been waiting around for too long. He should have made a move by now.”

Tony wasn’t arguing with that. The waiting was driving him insane, having no idea when Thanos would attack, and not knowing if they’d be ready for it when he did. Although he’d be quite happy for Thanos to forget about his plan if it meant Loki would be sticking around for longer. His reservations about getting intimate with Loki hadn’t been completely dispelled, but his eagerness was enough to drown them out – sex with Loki would no doubt be a unique experience, and Tony was never one to shy away from something new.

“What’s Loki doing wandering around again?” Steve said, distracting Tony from his thoughts.

“He’s helping me find a way to get the gauntlet away from Thanos.” He hoped the subject would move away from their guest before Tony could completely lose his composure. He was suddenly very aware of his every movement, paranoid that something would give him away, despite the fact that Steve could walk in to find him straddling Loki and would refuse to believe anything was going on.

“You trust him?”

“I trust him to help us deal with Thanos. He needs us, remember?”

Steve pursed his lips as he considered Tony. He didn’t look convinced. In fact, Tony suspected Steve thought he was insane to believe Loki wouldn’t turn on them. _Maybe he’s right._

“Take a break, Tony,” Steve said, “You look exhausted.”

Tony didn’t even notice when Steve left, he was so lost in his own thoughts. So they still didn’t know Loki’s motives, and he’d undoubtedly go back to wanting them dead as soon as they stopped being necessary. But that didn’t mean he and Loki couldn’t indulge themselves until this Thanos thing was done with, did it? The attraction between them was real, and it wasn’t like Tony was going to go spilling S.H.I.E.L.D.’s secrets to the guy – he didn’t exactly see Loki as the type to cuddle in bed chatting after sex. This was purely physical. They both needed to let off a little steam, and he could deal with the consequences later.

 

“Your security is terrible,” Loki said by way of greeting as Tony stepped into his penthouse. Tony had no idea how Loki even managed to get in without the gem, but he had more important things on his mind to worry about it now. Without a word he dragged Loki up off the couch and into his bedroom.

Tony pushed Loki down onto the bed and was brought in close for an eager kiss, tumbling down gracelessly when Loki pulled at his waist. The awkward landing raised a chuckle from Loki, but his focus soon returned to the task at hand, grasping at Tony again to try and remove all that bothersome clothing.

“Patience,” Tony said.

Withdrawing slightly from Loki’s hungry lips, Tony took a moment to drink in the sight of the man sprawled beneath him. His faced was flushed, lips swollen and red and eyes ablaze with desire, panting hard and unable to keep his hands away from Tony’s body. Tony pushed them down to rest on his hips so he could tug off his tank top, the light from his arc reactor making Loki look ethereal in the dim bedroom, before moving on to unbutton Loki’s shirt.

His fervour left his hands trembling, and Loki watched Tony’s fumbling with amusement before batting him away to remove the shirt himself. The second it was off Tony pinned Loki down on the mattress, planning to get acquainted with that smart mouth some more, but Loki had other ideas. Before Tony could register what was happening, he was lying on his back as Loki slid down the bed to finish undressing him, brushing kisses against his stomach and hips and slowly heading south to kiss the inside of his thighs. Tony silently cursed, writhing and desperate for Loki to turn his attention to his erection.

 “You’re such a tease,” he panted. He felt Loki grin against his thigh. Well if he wasn’t going to move things along a little quicker, Tony would just have to get busy on that himself. This time Loki was content to stay in place when Tony rolled them into their original position, his only movement the heavy rise and fall of his chest as Tony tugged off the rest of his clothes.

Loki really was a sight to behold: long, lean limbs, taut muscles and almost impossibly white skin, a world away from Thor’s tanned, solid bulk. Tony was amazed the truth of Loki’s birth was kept hidden for so long, given how different the two brothers looked. His eyes flicked up to see Loki watching him expectantly. Tony forced himself back into the moment and showered Loki with kisses, careful to avoid the cuts and bruises still dotting his skin.

“What happened to patience?” Loki asked, though he swiftly dropped his teasing as Tony nipped his collarbone, and a soft moan sounded from deep in his throat.

Their hands and mouths explored each other’s bodies, discovering where and how to touch the other to drive him wild until neither of them could take it anymore. Loki climbed into Tony’s lap and kissed him roughly, leaving Tony in no doubt about his desire. And Tony certainly wasn’t in the mood to deny him. One hand still clutching Loki’s hip, he reached out and groped blindly for the bottle of lube in his bedside drawer.

“Still think I won’t be able to keep up with you?”

“By all means, prove me wrong,” said Loki, his voice sounding even silkier than usual as it caressed Tony’s ear. His hand slid down between them to line Tony’s dick up with his entrance and he sank down slowly until he was fully impaled, trying and failing to bite back a choked gasp while Tony did some moaning of his own. He couldn’t remember anyone feeling this tight around him. It was phenomenal.

They soon sank into a rhythm, their pace quickening as Tony’s hand found its way to Loki’s dick. Loki groaned at the touch, digging his nails in and pushing Tony down to ride him hard into the mattress, the air filling with their shouts of pleasure. There wasn’t much Tony could do but lie back and enjoy the show, drinking in the sight of Loki moving above him, head thrown back in ecstasy as he stroked himself, and Tony reached his climax far sooner than he would have liked.

“Knew it,” Loki said with a victorious smile.

“I’ll happily admit defeat. It was worth it.” Loki laughed and Tony pulled him down to silence him with a kiss, swallowing Loki’s moan when he came.

Tony slid his fingers through Loki’s damp hair, holding him in place where he lay panting against Tony’s chest as the sweat began to cool on their skin. It was then that the absurdity of the situation hit him.

“If you told me a year and a half ago I’d end up in bed with the crazy god who threw me out a window...”

Something in his remark must have set Loki off, because faster than Tony could react he’d pushed himself off the bed, scooped up his clothes and stormed from the room, leaving a dumbstruck Tony staring after him. With a sigh he dropped his head back onto the pillows and closed his eyes. He could deal with Loki later.

***

Loki leant back against the bedroom door, listening closely for any sound of Tony rising to follow him. He felt a twinge of pain across his abdomen and looked down to see blood trickle down his stomach to join the streaks of his seed already staining him. It mattered not. The gash would close again soon enough, and the sting was forgotten as another wave of anger surged within him.

How could he have been so foolish to climb into bed with the mortal? He’d let his judgement become clouded by passion and he would be sure to suffer for it. Stark was a talented lover, unquestionably, and Loki felt a certain kinship with him, as much as he was loathe to admit it. But if it was pleasure Loki craved, he could find his release elsewhere – with his strength and magics returning by the day soon he would be able to compel anyone he chose to take him into their bed if he so desired – and no doubt Tony’s seduction was little more than an attempt to gain further insight into Loki’s mind.

Loki sighed. He grew weary of people trying to slither their way into his head.

But there was no time for those thoughts here. Loki scrambled back into his clothes and hurried from the room. He saw no-one as he returned to his chambers, and silently wished someone would appear. He wanted nothing more than to break his oath that he would harm not a soul.

***

The sound of Jarvis’ voice brought Tony back from the edge of sleep.

“Sir, Director Fury is requesting entrance. He wishes to meet with you immediately.”

“What time is it?”

“11.17pm, sir.”

Tony groaned. If Fury was here to give him some errand that would have him busy all night, he could just shove it. “Alright, give me five minutes.”

Fury stood tapping at something on Tony’s computer when he stepped into the main room. “We have a problem.”

“Oh yeah?” Tony replied, “Is it a problem that couldn’t wait ‘til morning?”

“Take a look at this.”

Tony watched the security footage Fury displayed, staring in horror as Loki slipped back into his apartment half-dressed and looked thoroughly dishevelled. _Oh God..._ He should have known this was coming. Now what the hell was Fury going to do to him?

“I’m gonna skip right past the part where you lost him _on the first day_ of this arrangement, and move on to my more pressing concern: it looks like our guest has found a way to entertain himself,” Fury said, reaching over to pause the footage and regain Tony’s attention, “Too bad physical therapy isn’t part of his recovery program.”

“You’re sure that’s what this is? I mean, do we really have any idea what goes on in that messed up little head of his?”

Fury resumed play on the footage, and as Loki moved away from the door the mess on his bare stomach became obvious. “Now I didn’t feel like looking real close, but I’m confident my one theory is enough. And if so, that means one of ours has been compromised.”

“What does this have to do with me?”

“Since you’re the only person here Loki doesn’t outwardly despise–“ Jesus, this was it. Tony’s the one who’s been compromised, and now he has to be dealt with. But they couldn’t kill him. They couldn’t even kick him out of the tower – _his_ tower. They needed his resources, his skill, his intelligence. Fury would have to find another way to deal with him. And that thought worried Tony even more. “–You have the best chance of figuring out who he’s getting cosy with.”

Tony blinked away his shock. “Wait, you want me to spy on him?”

“Spy on him, try to get him talking – I don’t care. I just need to know which person here Loki’s gotten to. I’m putting Agent Romanoff on this as well, but knowing Loki he’ll realise she’s watching him before long. Hopefully he trusts you enough to let his guard down.”

“What’ll happen when you find them?”

“Well that depends.”

“...On?”

“On whether Loki had them under some kind of spell, or...” There was no need for Fury to finish his sentence, or to bother explaining what the punishment would be for someone caught jumping into bed with one of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s most wanted. Whatever happened, Tony knew it wouldn’t be good. He fought the urge to gulp, praying that nothing in his expression betrayed his guilt. Thankfully Fury just nodded to Tony and left without another word.

“Crap,” Tony said to the empty room.

Ten minutes later, he stood outside Loki’s now unguarded door wishing he had one of his suits on. Loki could turn Tony into mush even without his full strength, and if he was still in such a volatile mood he’d probably want to. But it was too late now, and bracing himself, Tony reached for the doorknob, before he realised barging in would piss Loki off even more and knocked instead.

No answer, of course. Tony let himself in anyway. Loki was sprawled on the couch, scowling at Tony before turning his attention back to the television, while Tony manoeuvred his way around Loki’s spread legs to sit down.

“You left this,” he said, throwing Loki’s shirt back to him.

“Is that the best excuse you could construct to visit me?”

“If you hadn’t taken off so quick I wouldn’t have to be here at all,” he said. Loki rolled his eyes. “Are you gonna tell me what happened, then?”

“No.”

“Okay.” Tony had expected as much. He paused, still trying to work out where he was going with this conversation. “We don’t have to make a big deal out of this.”

“Excuse me?”

“You know, us hooking up,” he explained, “It doesn’t have to mean anything, if we wanted to keep doing it.”

Loki pushed himself into a seating position faster than Tony could register the movement. Long legs framed him on both sides and Loki pushed in close, his face just inches away as he studied Tony. “What makes you think I would want to?”

“You liked it.” It wasn’t a question. He shifted to face Loki directly, gliding his hands to rest on the couch on either side of Loki’s hips, forcing him back down. For once, Tony had all the power as he loomed over Loki. He waited for Loki to lash out at him any second, but he stayed in place, looking up at Tony with his hands resting on Tony’s sides. Thank God he’d had Jarvis loop the security footage from Loki’s room, or else Fury would no doubt be paying Tony another, less pleasant visit.

“I liked it,” Loki admitted, somewhat grudgingly.

“Then why should we spend our nights alone when we could be having so much fun together?”

Loki’s lips pursed, his eyebrows knitting together into the tiniest hint of a frown, and Tony could tell he was considering it. _Mission accomplished_. He patted Loki’s thigh and wriggled back off the couch.

“Think about it,” he said, turning towards the door. “Oh and by the way, Fury’s twigged you’re sleeping with someone at S.H.I.E.L.D.; he’s putting Agent Romanoff on your trail. So when you come knocking, be discreet.”

He was. Tony stirred in the middle of the night, opening his eyes a crack just as he sensed a shift in the air and Loki materialised at the foot of his bed, illuminated by the glowing gem in his hand. Tony hadn’t even felt Loki’s hand slide into his pocket to take it.

“Those sticky fingers are going to get you in trouble one day,” he said as Loki stripped off his clothes and climbed into bed beside him.


	8. Chapter 8

Loki was gone when Tony woke the next morning. That worked for him; if Loki was being watched more closely from now on, they’d have to be careful. Loki couldn’t be seen anywhere but his apartment and Tony’s workshop.

Tony forced himself out of bed, wincing at the ache in his muscles – Loki had been far from gentle, as the bruises across Tony’s hips and thighs would attest to – and climbed into the shower, laughing as a realisation struck him. He’d fucked a god. An honest-to-goodness being from legend had been in his bed, shouting his name, coming apart at his touch... That was a conquest for the history books if ever there was one. The thought had him in such a good mood he actually keenly participated in the day’s meetings at Stark Industries, rather than dozing off or letting someone else handle the decision-making, as he had a habit of doing after an eventful night, and he didn’t head home until late in the evening.

He hesitated as he stepped into the elevator back at Avengers Tower, his fingers hovering over the button for his floor. He had intended to go straight upstairs and crawl into bed until he remembered he still had work to do, and after taking last night off he really couldn’t do the same tonight. So with a weary sigh he headed to his workshop instead, thinking of his bed with longing.

Tony hadn’t expected to find Loki already there, but then when did Loki ever do what Tony expected him to?

“Are you just going to stand there, Tony?” Loki said without even turning to face him.

“How did you know it was me?”

“This is your workshop.”

“Right.” _Well that was smooth_. “So, how are you?”

“Fine.”

Tony sat down beside Loki and glanced at the image of the Infinity gauntlet on the closest screen. “What are you working on?”

“I think the space gem is our best hope of creating some distance between Thanos and the gauntlet. Unless S.H.I.E.L.D. has something more powerful hidden away.” He shot a pointed glance at Tony.

“Hey I just work here. S.H.I.E.L.D. operates on a strictly need-to-know basis, and I apparently don’t need to know anything. So what’s the plan, keep practising until you can control the gem enough to move the gauntlet?”

Loki nodded.

“But without the gauntlet to test it on, you won’t know if it’ll work or not.”

“Don’t worry, Stark, I have a plan in mind. One that may benefit you as well.”

“Are you going to tell me what it is?” He was a little worried, to tell the truth. If Loki knew Tony would have no objections to his idea he’d have spared the details – his playing coy almost certainly meant trouble.

“Not yet,” he said, squeezing the stone in his hand and disappearing effortlessly, leaving Tony to sigh at an empty seat.

 

Ten days later Loki still hadn’t told Tony his plan, but Tony refused to give up, hounding Loki again and again until he finally managed to wear him down enough to give a demonstration.

“I was just hoping you’d _tell_ me your plan,” Tony said as Loki slipped the chain from his neck to clutch at the stone, “Given your unrivalled skill for causing destruction I feel like I should know what you’re gonna do before you do it.”

“You worry too much, Stark.” Loki closed his eyes to focus on the gem. Faint light pulsed through his fingers but Tony could see nothing new appear in the workshop, and after another minute of silence he had to speak, if only to distract himself from his growing dread.

“Is something supposed to be happening?”

“Quiet,” Loki said sharply, squeezing his eyes shut tighter as his brows knitted together in concentration, and finally Tony sensed the change.

He wished he hadn’t. The light grew brighter, enveloping Loki’s hand and spreading further until Tony had to look away, and as he glanced back at the ebbing light he found himself looking at the Tesseract.

He stared blankly for a moment as panic flooded his system. _What if this was Loki’s plan all along? Stealing the Tesseract again, trying to take over again... No. No, if that was his plan he would have killed us already. God, the amount of time I’ve been spending with him... He could have done it so easily._ Tony’s mind felt like it was short-circuiting. He needed to sit down.

“What did you do?” Tony managed to say at last.

“You wanted to create another portal.”

“I didn’t even know if that plan would work! Jesus Loki, this is insane.”

Loki opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get a word out, Jarvis interrupted.

“Sir,” he said, “Thor has just arrived. He is heading this way.”

“That didn’t take long,” Loki chuckled.

The elevator doors opened and Thor burst into the room, hammer in hand and staring daggers at his little brother. “Loki! What is the meaning of this?”

“No need for alarm, brother,” Loki said in his slimiest voice, though his smile was too wide, revealing too many shining white teeth, and Tony could see fear flicker in his eyes as Thor advanced on him.

“Speak quickly,” rumbled Thor while thunder crashed outside, “Before my patience wears thin.”

“We have need of it. If I am lying, if I mean to use the Tesseract for nefarious purpose, Asgard will be the first to see it, no? You think me foolish enough to devise my own schemes when my every action is so scrutinised?”

Thor studied Loki’s face, as pointless as the act was. If Loki was lying, none of them would realise until it was too late. “ _Behave yourself_ , Loki. Father will not remove his gaze until the Tesseract is returned to Asgard.”

Loki nodded his understanding, and Thor straightened, flashing Tony a brief smile before stepping back into the elevator. Tony watched the sky brighten outside again as the Bifrost opened to collect Thor from the roof, and he rounded on Loki.  “ _You stole the Tesseract?_ ”

“Borrowed,” Loki corrected, “You needed the cube to dispatch Thanos, I needed to see if I had mastered the gem enough to move such powerful artefacts; I told you my plan would benefit us both.”

“You should have told me.”

“You would have objected,” he said, “Can you build the device to open the portal?”

“Yes. But not tonight. I need to speak to Fury about getting my hands on some of the supplies and finding a safe place to store the Tesseract.”

It was not a conversation he was looking forward to.

***

“So Loki just thought about the Tesseract and it appeared?” Bruce said, his voice muffled with his head buried in a box.

“That’s pretty much how it works.”

Tony’s workshop was filled with crates of supplies, and he stared helplessly as three S.H.I.E.L.D. agents carried in more. _Selvig managed to make this underground, yet S.H.I.E.L.D. have to fill my whole workspace with crap_. They had Selvig’s notes – surely they knew most of this equipment was unnecessary.

“What did Fury have to say about that?”

“There wasn’t really much ‘saying’. Lots of yelling, some colourful insults. I think he nearly burst a blood vessel at one point.” But Tony couldn’t stay too mad. Fury was right of course – Loki had broken their conditions for returning the gem, and Tony’s attempt at keeping him under control was laughable. Hell, he hadn’t even bothered to take the stone back after Loki stole it from him. It was for the best, Fury confiscating it again.

It took them all afternoon just to sort through everything in Tony’s workshop, but once they were finally able to start their work, it came along nicely. He and Bruce always worked well together. Bruce seemed to sense when Tony needed to concentrate, keeping quiet without Tony ever having to ask him, and they both knew if either of them had a problem, the other could likely find a way around it.

And so it was that when Clint meandered into the workshop a day later, their work was halfway to completion.

“Where’s your new best friend?” He asked Tony, after scouring every corner of the room to make sure Loki wasn’t lurking in the shadows.

“How should I know?”

“I thought you two were joined at the hip.” Tony scoffed at that.

“Loki does seem to be, uh, _attached_ to you, Tony,” Bruce said.

“Jealous?”

Bruce let out a low chuckle. “I think I’ll let you keep him.”

Turning his attention back to his latest visitor, currently circling the device like a – _like a hawk, actually_ – Tony said, “So Clint, what can we do for you?”

“Director Fury wants to know how your work is coming along. And if we’re at risk of any interplanetary disputes since we liberated the Tesseract.”

“There’s no problem with the Tesseract. You can tell Fury to come down here himself if he wants to know how Bruce and I are getting on,” he said, rolling his eyes, “And ask him how he ever became head of an intelligence agency if his idea of spying is having other people ask the questions for him.”

Clint laughed, but his good mood soon abated when Loki appeared behind him. Sensing a presence, he spun back and into a fighting stance almost as fast as Tony had seen Natasha do the same. _Damn, these guys are good_.

“Agent Barton,” Loki said with a devilish smile and a voice that was all charm, “How good to see you again.”

“You really want to come near me when I’m armed?”

Loki’s grin widened as he held his arms out at his sides in an open invitation. “Please, take your best shot.”

It took less than a second for Clint to have his gun out and aimed at Loki’s chest. Of course he’d call Loki’s bluff – Clint had more reason to hate Loki than any of them, though if there was a chance the shot would be fatal, Tony knew he would hold back without an official kill order. Not that it mattered, anyway. Clint squeezed the trigger and a spurt of water hit Loki’s torso.

“Ooh,” Loki said, “Very intimidating.”

“You owe me a new gun.” Clint skulked out of the room without another word and Tony couldn’t hold in his snicker any longer. Even Bruce looked amused, though he pressed a fist to his mouth to hide his smile.

“What happened to ‘no tricks’?” Tony said while Loki dried off the front of his t-shirt. Naturally Loki wasn’t playing by that rule, though when his now fully restored magics deposited him in Tony’s bedroom at night, Tony didn’t mind so much.

“Surely I’m allowed to use magic to defend myself?” Loki’s eyes were wide, his face the picture of innocence. It didn’t suit him at all.

“Like a bullet would even hurt you.”

“Emotional distress.”

He studied their work, almost retracing Clint’s exact steps, though at least he seemed more familiar with everything he saw, enough to correct the position of the part Bruce was fitting into place and tell him the best material to use for focusing the portal’s beam. He stayed longer than Tony expected, and naturally it was only a matter of time before he started brushing against Tony when Bruce’s back was turned.

‘Playing with fire,’ Tony mouthed at Loki as a hand slid down to his ass. Every time Bruce moved away and Loki started touching him, Tony was sure this would be the moment they’d get caught. It was nerve-wracking. They’d been so cautious at first, always staying completely professional until they were in his or Loki’s apartment, though as days passed without another word about Loki’s secret fling and they found it harder and harder to keep away from each other, they became increasingly careless. But it was one thing to fool around in the workshop when they were alone, and another to do it _while someone else was in the room_.

Loki only pressed closer, his lips closing around Tony’s earlobe and his hand strayed into Tony’s jeans. Tony had to bite down on the inside of his cheek to keep from gasping. Loki moved more deliberately and Tony’s blood rushed south, while his eyes never left Bruce, his head still buried in one of the boxes for now.

It took roughly two seconds for Tony to give in to Loki. His eyes fluttered shut, but before he knew it the hand disappeared and Loki’s body was gone from behind him. Bruce had found what he was looking for and turned back to face him.

“Tony, are you okay?”

He snapped his eyes open and nodded, trying not to focus on Loki standing halfway across the room looking infuriatingly proud of himself. “I’m fine. Just came over a little dizzy.”

Loki strolled back out of the workshop a few minutes later. He didn’t bother to say goodbye or tell them where he was going, though it would be more of a shock if Loki had extended them the courtesy. Three words flashed through Tony’s mind, and he knew Loki had planted them there. _My chambers. Now_.

“What do you say we take a break for an hour?” Tony said to Bruce in his best attempt at a casual tone.

“Yeah, okay. Shall we grab some lunch? That Mexican place on the corner does great specials on a Saturday.”

“Actually, I think I’m gonna go lie down for a bit.” He backed into the elevator as he spoke, feeling a twinge of guilt in his stomach. He’d love to go eat Mexican food with Bruce, just forget about everything else that was happening and spend some time with his friend. But if Loki was upstairs waiting for him right now... _No contest_.


	9. Chapter 9

It had been almost a month since Loki dropped into Bruce’s lab, and there had still been no sign of activity from Thanos. The tension was getting to all of them. Tony stepped into the gym to see Steve taking his frustration out on another punching bag, and he gave the man a wide berth as he sat beside Bruce on a bench in the corner. He didn’t blame Steve for feeling useless. Tony and Bruce had finished their work the day before and he was climbing the walls already. He didn’t know how the others had coped for so long.

Bruce smiled warmly at Tony when he sat down.

“Not training?” Tony said.

“The other guy is more than capable without my help. And I think I’d feel inadequate working out with them.” He nodded towards the others.

“Yeah, I get that.” Tony stared in awe as Clint and Natasha sparred, their rapid movements executed with flawless precision. Tony was in good shape himself, but just watching the pair left him exhausted. Even Steve looked on impressed when he joined Tony and Bruce.

“Any word yet?”

“No. Sorry, Steve.” Tony reached out to pat Steve’s back as he huffed in frustration, wrinkling his nose at his now sweat-covered hand and glancing around for a towel.

“I wish we could just get this over with.”

“Do you think we have a chance of stopping him?” Bruce said. Clint and Natasha had finished sparring now and come to join them, and they all looked to Steve for his answer.

“I don’t know. But spending weeks sitting around thinking the world could go to hell at any time doesn’t really sound like a better alternative.”

There was a murmur of agreement and the group fell silent, five pairs of eyes downcast as melancholy settled over them. Tony hated it when everyone got quiet like this. It was becoming a regular occurrence with Thanos’ threat looming.

“Hey, you guys are all coming to my party on Saturday, right?”

“Tony,” said Natasha, “Don’t you think we have more important things to worry about?”

“We can’t take one night off? No matter how prepared we are, Thanos still has the upper hand. And I don’t know about you guys, but if this Christmas could be our last I want to celebrate in style.”

Clint nodded. “I’m in.”

Tony beamed as Natasha and Steve agreed as well and turned to the last remaining hold-out.

“What do you say, Banner?”

“You think it’s wise to put me in a room with dozens of civilians?”

Tony pouted and stood. “Think about it. And hey,” he said as he backed out the room, “If you do hulk out, that’d make it the most memorable party _ever_.”

 

Bruce did decide to show up, to Tony’s unadulterated delight, though so far he’d spent the whole evening standing awkwardly with Steve five feet from the door.

“Jesus, you two are like a black hole sucking life out of the party over here,” Tony said as he approached them, “Go. Mingle. Let your hair down a little.”

He shooed them away and laughed at the look of alarm on Steve’s face as a woman immediately approached him. Tony couldn’t hear what was said, but judging by Steve’s steadily reddening face his attempt at small talk wasn’t going well. It was almost too painful to watch. He wondered if he should go over to save Steve, but he decided against it. The man would have to learn how to speak to women one day, and Tony didn’t want to spend his entire party making sure his teammates acted like model guests.

Not that he’d have much choice in the matter. As he moved through the room he saw Natasha doing a pretty decent show of enjoying herself, chatting and laughing with a few other guests, though he could see in her eyes she was still on high alert. No doubt Clint was doing the same, wherever he was. Tony rolled his eyes as he walked past.

The smile dropped from his face as he leant against the bar sipping another drink. For all he’d pushed for the party to happen, he thought he’d enjoy it more. He always tended to get a little despondent this time of year. Watching the people surrounding him and knowing they’d all go home and spend the next few days with their families and loved ones, Tony never felt more alone. Usually a few too many drinks and a girl or two on his arms served to distract him, though he was barely even paying attention to the – _weather girl? Or did she say she was a dancer? It was definitely something to do with... things_ – who was making a valiant effort to impress him. He made his excuses to slip away and discreetly abandoned the party.

It’d be a while before anyone noticed his absence, and when they did they’d no doubt assume he’d taken off with someone. _They wouldn’t be far from the truth_ , he thought as he stepped into Loki’s room.

He grinned as he found Loki sitting in the bath. “Room for one more?”

“Don’t you have a gathering to host?”

“Are you miffed you didn’t get an invitation?” Tony said as he slid out of his clothes and climbed in to join Loki.

“Please,” Loki scoffed, “I can think of nothing worse than spending the evening with your peers. Besides, it must be a dreadful party if you would abscond so soon.”

Tony gasped and pulled his hands back from the lather he’d been working into Loki’s arm. “Do you doubt my entertaining skills?”

“You wouldn’t be here if there was something worthwhile to keep you upstairs.”

“Maybe I just came for this,” he breathed against Loki’s ear, his hand returning to Loki’s body and sliding down his chest. Tony’s mood was definitely improving down here with Loki, far quicker than it would have done if he’d stayed at the party.

“Surely half the people in that room are willing to bed you, Stark.”

“Only half?” Tony said, incredulous. Loki rolled his eyes at Tony, though he couldn’t keep the smile from his face. “Has anyone ever done this for you before?”

“Not like this.” Loki’s breath hitched as Tony moved down to massage his inner thigh. The pretence of washing him was pretty much gone now, yet Tony still kept his hands away from Loki’s dick, satisfied for the moment with watching Loki’s arousal steadily increase.

“There was no harem of concubines ready to service your every need when you were King?”

“I wasn’t on the throne long enough to find out.” Tony hadn’t expected Loki to reply. Usually whenever he broached the subject of Asgard Loki shut down and wouldn’t speak again until Tony found a way to distract him, so he didn’t know quite how to react. Loki opened an eye when Tony’s hands stopped their movements.

“If I had known it would take so little to silence you I would have tried it weeks ago.”

Tony splashed him in return and Loki retaliated by sending a small tidal wave over Tony. He sat coughing and spluttering after swallowing mouthfuls of soapy bathwater, and reluctantly admitted defeat. He climbed out of the bath, trying not to slip on the water splashed all over the floor, and surveyed his sodden reflection in the mirror.

“I can’t go back upstairs looking like this,” he announced, “I guess you’re stuck with me for the next few hours.”

A smile crept across Loki’s lips.

 

A blunt pain woke Tony from his dream a few hours later, his shin throbbing as he fought to open his eyes. Loki was a kicker. For weeks now Tony’s legs had been covered in bruises from when Loki’s unconscious body not-so-subtly let him know it was time to leave. He was just reaching over to give Loki a shove in return when he noticed the strained whimpers only partly muffled by Loki’s pillow and his frantic twitching in his sleep. Another nightmare.

“Loki, wake up.” Tony rolled the sleeping body over as he spoke and Loki tried to squirm out of Tony’s grasp, his eyes squeezed shut tight as his breathing accelerated. “Loki!”

Loki’s eyes snapped open, wildly scanning his surroundings before Tony pulled Loki close against his chest and held him tight. He ran a soothing hand through Loki’s hair as he felt the rapid heartbeat return to a normal pace, and once again he marvelled at the insane turn his life had taken. Last month’s Tony Stark would still be upstairs enjoying his party, drinking too much and hitting on every woman within sight; now he was lying in bed trying to comfort a man he was supposed to despise.

“Tony?” Loki said after a minute.

“Yeah, it’s me. You here?”

Loki nodded and pulled back to look at him, arms still looped around Tony’s back, and Tony slid his own hands down to rest on Loki’s pale biceps. To an observer the pair would have looked sickeningly domestic – that is, until they noticed the bite marks on Loki’s chest.

“Why are you still here?” Loki said with a frown.

“Don’t act like you’re not glad.”

“No emotions, Stark. This is the arrangement you wanted, is it not?”

“Yeah,” he said, rolling over onto his stomach after Loki collapsed back onto the mattress. “But that doesn’t mean we have to hate each other.”

“I enjoy hating you.”

“Liar. Face it sweetheart, one day you’re going to have to admit you’ve fallen madly in love with me.”

“Never,” Loki replied, a warm smile on his face, his dream apparently forgotten for the time being. “Although, it would perhaps be entertaining to see your reaction were I to do so. Unless you wish for me to confess my love because you feel the same.”

Tony chuckled at the conspiratorial expression Loki wore.

“You wish,” he whispered, moving in closer to steal a kiss. He didn’t bother to pull away afterwards. Tony enjoyed the rare moments like this, when he and Loki let tranquillity reign as they nestled into each other. It didn’t matter that they would never trust one another, or that their relationship – or whatever this thing was that they had – was about as far from healthy as you could get. They each found comfort in the other, and if the mutual grudging respect they’d felt had developed into an actual friendship, neither of them seemed to mind.

“Loki, are you–“ Thor froze as he poked his head through the door and caught sight of them, his eyes wide with shock. Tony scrambled back from Loki’s embrace, but the damage was already done and an awful hush settled in the room.

“Well this is awkward,” he said. Highlighting that fact didn’t make things any less awkward though, and he fell silent again.

“I... I apologise. I thought...” Thor trailed off, flustered and looking anywhere but at the bed. “Tony, I would have words. When you are ready.”

Tony fought the urge to panic as he climbed over Loki and rooted through the piles of clothes on the floor to find his own. His hands trembled as he dressed himself. Thor didn’t seem angry, but once the shock wore off God only knew how he’d react to Tony violating his little brother. Tony would be pudding in seconds if they came to blows. He pushed those thoughts from his mind as he shot Loki a nervous glance and stepped into the main room. _Gotta face the music, Tony._

Thor rose at the sight of Tony. “How long have the two of you been...” he paused, jaw clenching as he searched for his next word, “Intimate?”

Straight to business, then. That suited Tony just fine – he didn’t particularly want to drag this conversation out. “A few weeks,” he answered. Thor’s brow furrowed slightly at Tony’s words. For now, he seemed more curious than anything.

“You care for him?” Thor said at last. Tony had no idea what to say to that, though Thor sensed the hesitation and his lips tugged into a small smile. “I understand. My brother can be difficult to love.”

“Yeah, tell me about it. So you don’t mind? That me and Loki are, uh–” he coughed, not bothering to finish his sentence. The image of him and Loki curled in bed together would probably stay with Thor for a while. He let out a warm chuckle, regardless.

“You are not the most unusual partner Loki has taken to his bed.” Tony didn’t even want to know what that meant. “Perhaps this will be good for him, having something to anchor him lest his mind strays too far afield while he is here. I would ask, though, that you keep your wits about you. Loki can be devious, manipulative. This may be a means to keep you distracted while he plots something more sinister.”

“That thought has occurred.”

“Then if you will excuse me, I must speak with my brother.” He slipped into the bedroom, and Tony made his way back upstairs.

His night wasn’t over yet though.


	10. Chapter 10

Natasha was sat waiting for Tony when he walked into the penthouse, one leg folded neatly over the other and her face unreadable as always. He’d known this was coming, yet now the moment was here he had no idea what to do.

“So I guess you just let anyone come and go as they please now, huh Jarvis?” Tony called as he took a step further into the room. He kept well back from the couch, even though he knew it wouldn’t make a difference. Nothing could help Tony if he ended up toe-to-toe with the Black Widow.

“We need to talk,” she said.

Tony tried to remain as nonchalant as he could. “What about?”

“You and Loki.”

He stayed silent. She was waiting for him to confess, Tony could tell, but he wouldn’t say a word until he was sure Natasha wasn’t bluffing about how much she knew. He gestured for her to continue and she crossed the room, sliding a smart phone from her pocket to hand to him. It was filled with images of Tony and Loki in the workshop, their lips locked together, hands disappearing under each other’s clothes. _Shit_. _Shit, shit, shit_.

“Why didn’t you come to me when you first took these?”

“I had to know if this was some spell of Loki’s, or if you were acting of your own volition,” Natasha replied. She was being remarkably matter-of-fact about the whole thing. Tony had expected this conversation to involve more shouting, though he supposed the inevitable meeting with Fury would provide it.

“And now you know?”

“I followed you, after you crept out from the party,” she said, “I’d say you were of sound mind when you went to see Loki.”

There was no denying it. With a resigned sigh, Tony said, “Are you going to tell Fury?”

“I don’t have a lot of choice. Director Fury asked me to find who Loki’s sneaking around with, and I found.  We have to put a stop to this before it gets any more out of hand.”

“’Out of hand’? What do you think is going on here? It’s just sex. There aren’t any feelings involved.” Tony knew that part wasn’t quite true. But he’d felt this strange affection for Loki even before their relationship became physical, so if S.H.I.E.L.D. didn’t want them to get close, Fury never should have made them work together. “Besides, last I checked S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn’t have control over who I sleep with.”

Natasha had raised an eyebrow during his outburst, the first time she’d had any kind of reaction since Tony arrived. It slid back into place and her composed mask returned, though Tony knew finding out about him and Loki must have sent her reeling. She said nothing, just stared at Tony until he had to break the silence.

“I’m not sharing secrets or anything,” he continued, “Even if I wanted to, I don’t know anything Loki could use against us. If he was trying to get information he’d be better off sleeping with someone else for it.”

“You’re compromised.”

“How? As soon as Loki isn’t needed he’ll be out of here, and this whole thing’s forgotten.”

“What if Director Fury doesn’t want Loki to leave? We can’t just let him back out on the streets. What if the order came to slit his throat while he slept – could you do it?”

Tony had no answer for Natasha. She’d proven her point.

“Don’t tell Fury,” he said as she turned to leave, his voice pleading but he didn’t care. He’d beg if he had to. “Let me deal with this myself, please.”

“I won’t say anything. But this thing with Loki has to end.”

“It will.”

Tony reluctantly headed to Loki’s apartment as soon as Natasha left.

“Back so soon?” Loki said when he opened the door.

“Romanoff knows about us.”

A muscle worked in Loki’s jaw as he let that information sink in. “Has she told anyone else?”

“Not yet. But this has to stop before other people find out.”

“Is that what you want?”

“No,” Tony said, throwing himself onto the couch. Loki followed and stood looking down at him, just close enough for Tony to absentmindedly reach out and brush his fingers up and down Loki’s thigh, tracing along the raised scar he felt under the thin fabric of Loki’s sweatpants.

Loki paused, his brow furrowing in thought before a grin played on his lips. “I could kill the woman, before she divulges anything.”

“ _No_.”

“Very well,” he huffed, “If you insist no harm is to come to Agent Romanoff, there is a spell I could perform to conceal any dalliances of ours from prying eyes. I would need Thor to fetch some items from Asgard, if he has not yet departed.”

Thor was wary of letting Loki cast a spell when they had only his word that it wasn’t some scheme, but he relented in the end. He returned a few days later with the supplies, and Loki made fast work of putting the spell in place.


	11. Chapter 11

Natasha stayed true to her word that she wouldn’t tell Fury, which Tony felt eternally grateful for, yet he’d noticed her paying extra attention to him as the weeks passed. Tony was certain she knew he and Loki were still sleeping together, but with Loki’s spell in place, there was no way to prove it. Still, it was a relief when she left for a mission in Europe.

“Agent Romanoff returned this morning.”

Tony jumped at the voice, spinning around in his chair to face Loki. There was no ripple in the air which usually signalled his arrival, and as Tony studied him he noticed something smooth and purple shining in Loki’s clenched fist.

“Loki,” he said, “What did you do?”

“Today? Not a thing. Though I must say S.H.I.E.L.D.’s security is terribly lax. I reclaimed the gem three days ago and still no-one has noticed its disappearance.”

“Are you planning to break every rule that’s set out for you?”

“I’ve been detained here for months, Tony,” he said as he stretched out on one of the worktables, unconcerned by the tools he sent clattering to the floor, “There’s only so long I can control my more _disagreeable_ impulses.”

Tony opened his mouth to speak when the cool blue light radiating from the screens behind him turned red and shrill alarms drowned out his words. Thanos had made his move. Tony whirled back to see where he’d appeared, but there was no need – before he could even lay eyes on the screen, a hulking, purple-skinned giant materialised in front of Loki.

“Hello, little god,” Thanos said with a sinister sneer. Tony just had time to catch the look of sheer horror on Loki’s face before he blinked out of the room, Thanos disappearing after him.

“Shit!” Tony said, “Jarvis–“

“I have already alerted the others, sir. Your teammates and S.H.I.E.L.D.’s agents are converging in the lobby.”

He flung himself out of his chair, tripping over his own feet as he ran to the far wall to put on one of his suits. If Thanos had managed to collect the other gems, Loki wouldn’t be able to hold him off for long.

The elevator ride down was unbearable, each second stretching on and on, until Tony finally reached the lobby. Thor and Bruce were there already, Natasha sprinting towards them as Clint pushed his way through the throng of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents from the other direction. They nodded at Tony and the five of them waited anxiously until they saw a glimpse of blue in the sea of dark uniforms.

“Tony, what happened?” Steve said, tugging his mask down as he joined them.

“Thanos came for Loki. He got away, but Thanos followed. I don’t know where they are now.”

“Right, so tracking Loki down is our first priority–“

“Loki knows the plan; he’ll lead Thanos to us, if we can get a portal open.”

Screams sounded from the street outside and the swarm around them eased as people moved out to survey the situation. Clint pressed a finger to his ear, listening to someone on the outside, presumably.

“We’ve got Chitauri on the ground. Our eyes in the sky are reporting them scattered all over Midtown.”

The lobby was almost empty now save for the Avengers as the last remaining agents piled into vans and sped off across the city. It was good to know the six of them wouldn’t be fighting an army alone again this time.

“We have a bigger problem,” Fury said as he strode towards them. Tony didn’t want to know what could be considered a bigger problem than Thanos’ arrival. “The hidden safe in a locked and guarded room in which the space gem was stored is now empty.”

“Oh, don’t worry.” Relief flooded Tony’s system as he spoke. “Loki stole it the other day.”

Fury stared at him, expressionless, until Bruce cut in. “What about the Tesseract?”

“It’s in a van with the rest of your equipment waiting to move out.”

Fury shook his head at Tony and walked past him without a word, following the others into one of the two vans still parked outside.

“So what’s the plan here?” Natasha said to Steve once they were all seated and making their way towards the heart of the fighting.

“We focus on holding back the Chitauri while Bruce and Tony get up and running to open the portal. How long do you think you’ll need?”

“Can you put it together on your own, Tony? I‘m not sure I’ll be much help, once I... you know.”

Tony nodded at Bruce and turned back to address Steve. “Give me ten, maybe fifteen minutes to set everything up. But I don’t want to open the portal until we catch sight of Thanos. God knows what could come out if we leave it lying open.”

Tony heard something crash to the ground outside and they came to a screeching halt.

“This is as far as we can go,” Agent Hill called from the driver’s seat, so they spilled out onto the street. There were half a dozen Chitauri waiting to greet them.

 _Showtime_.

Tony sent one flying with a repulsor blast, creating a space for Bruce to slip through and transform without injuring anyone, and the Hulk had slammed the rest of their attackers into the ground in seconds.

Two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents darted towards Tony from the other van. “Mr. Stark, where do you want your equipment?”

“Jarvis, find me the tallest building with a flat roof.”

“The grey building at your 2 o’clock, sir.”

Tony pointed them in the right direction and shot off after the Chitauri whizzing past above his head.

“Is anyone else feeling some serious déjà vu here?” Tony said as he dispatched more of the creatures. He hadn’t spotted any of their killer worm friends yet though, which was a relief. A resounding ‘Yes’ crackled through his earpiece. “Where’s a nuclear missile when you need one?”

“Doubt it’d be much help,” Clint said, “There’s no sign of a portal anywhere.”

Tony didn’t particularly want to repeat that experience anyway. He landed on a nearby rooftop to survey the carnage unfolding around him, and spotted three of the Chitauri on the street below. As soon as he hit the ground they were gone. Tony spun around to see Loki standing a few feet away, decked in full armour. It was a pretty intimidating sight after two months of seeing him in t-shirts and sweatpants, though when he took a closer look Tony could see how exhausted Loki was.

“You owe me for that,” Loki said.

“I’m sure I’ll find a way to repay you. Where are they?”

“I sent them to Director Fury as a gift.”

Tony prayed he was kidding. There was nothing in Loki’s expression to hint one way or the other. “You remember you’re supposed to be fighting on our side, right?”

Loki grinned weakly and collapsed back against the overturned car behind him. The battle forgotten for now, Tony rushed forward to help him stay upright, a hand on Loki’s lower back as Loki leaned against him. Luckily the others weren’t around to spot the pair holding each other so tenderly.

“How are you?”

“Still here, for now.”

“Thanos?”

“He’ll catch up any minute. I fear he’s tiring of chasing me across the worlds. He’ll use the other gems to end this as soon as he loses patience. You need to open the portal.”

“It’ll take a while,” Tony said, “Can you hold him off for much longer?”

Loki looked better for having just a moment’s respite. He nodded, and pushed himself away from Tony to disappear again. Tony waited for a second for some sign of Thanos following Loki’s trail before taking to the skies to set up his equipment.

This was the part Tony wasn’t looking forward to. Reassembling the machine was easy enough, but he’d have to remove his suit for the more delicate work, and with Chitauri still flying around across the city, being unprotected was the last thing Tony wanted.

“Guys, I’m taking the suit off,” he said, “Watch out for me.”

The clouds darkened, and a shape came hurtling through the sky towards him. Thor landed on the roof with a heavy thud and straightened, offering Tony a quick smile before slipping back into defence mode, ready to take on anything that came near. It was a challenge the Chitauri readily accepted. Seemingly every one of them in the air advanced on Thor, and he was soon overwhelmed, struggling to fight them all back.

Pain shot through Tony’s shoulder and he went down with a cry. He could smell burnt flesh, feel heat radiating from the wound, but he forced himself up off his knees. He was just turning back to face his attacker when the entire horde disappeared.

“Where did you send them this time?” Tony called out, and Loki materialised with a wry smirk. He didn’t have time to answer, however, before a hand closed around his throat, sporting a shining, golden gauntlet.

Tony and Thor both charged towards Thanos and were sent flying back by a wave of his free hand. Magic crackled uselessly around Loki’s fingers on the gauntlet as Thanos prised the gem from his hand.

 _This is it_ , Tony thought as Thanos held up the stone to inspect it with a dark chuckle. _End of the world_. Tony was crawling back to them, doing his best to ignore the pain in his shoulder, until, after what felt like an eternity, his hand clasped around Loki’s wrist.

Tony didn’t get any further. He paused as the air seemed to ripple around him and everything fell silent. Chitauri hung motionless in the sky; the hands on Tony’s watch stopped moving; and as he peered around one of Thanos’ legs, Tony saw Thor frozen mid-jump, hammer poised to crash down on Thanos. Was this how it happened, total annihilation? Why was Tony the only one still moving?

Tony felt the hand tug out of his grip and he looked up to see a decidedly active Loki scrabbling to free himself from Thanos’ vicelike hold. He stood panting for a moment once his feet hit the ground, bruises already forming on his neck, and wrenched the gauntlet off Thanos’ hand, paying no mind as it clattered to the hard concrete.

“What the hell...”

Loki held up two more gems, one of them still glowing faintly in his hand. “Stopped time,” he said simply.

“Oh...” Tony said as he climbed to his feet. He moved to the edge of the roof to survey the lifeless city and laughed. This was surreal.

“The effect won’t last long. Are you ready to open the portal?”

Tony ran back to the machine and fixed the Tesseract into place, keeping a wary eye on Thanos’ immobile form all the while.

“The machine won’t run until time starts back up.” The air began rippling again as Tony spoke. “Never mind. Can you hold your own for a few more minutes?”

Loki slipped the space gem out of Thanos’ hand, backing away before he returned to life. “I think I’ll manage.”

Noise filled the air, deafening after the last few minutes of quiet, and Thanos turned to face Loki with a snarl. They were gone in an instant, leaving Tony to focus on the task at hand. Thor was looking around in confusion as Tony flicked on the machine, when screams from below brought his attention back to the more pressing issue, and he hurled himself through the air to rejoin the fighting. Tony snapped his armour on and followed.

There were less Chitauri on the ground now, though reports still came over his earpiece of small skirmishes taking place across the city. But Tony was confident. They had the upper hand over Thanos, and there were enough S.H.I.E.L.D. agents supporting them to give the Avengers a good chance of taking out the Chitauri without too much trouble.

“Right, ladies, what’s the skinny?”

Steve’s voice sounded in his ear. “We’re trying to steer the Chitauri into one location, to take them out without having to run all over town to find them. I’d say we’ve slowed them down, but I don’t want to jinx it. How did you do?”

“One portal, coming right up. We will be Thanos-free in a matter of minutes.”

The beam of blue light reached the cloud cover and beyond, blackness slowly swallowing the sky. Tony filled with dread at the sight.

“Sir,” Jarvis said, “Behind you.”

Tony turned and swiftly dealt with the creatures trying to creep up on him. He didn’t look back at the portal again. “Thank you, Jarvis.”

“My pleasure, sir.”

Thanos and Loki tumbled into view further down the street. For all the gems gave Loki an advantage, Thanos wasn’t going down without a fight, sending Loki staggering backwards with a powerful blow to the ribs. Tony heard the impact from his position thirty feet away. Loki was still standing though, and his head shot upwards to watch the portal expand, his face twisting into a victorious grin as Thanos vanished. His eyes met Tony’s and they nodded to each other before Loki blinked away, reappearing at Tony’s side a second later with the gauntlet in his hand as the beam powered down and the portal started to shrink.

“So we’re done then,” said Tony, “Almost. Think you can help us with the rest of the Chitauri?”

Purple light shone through Loki’s fingers and the Chitauri were gone, bewildered voices in Tony’s ear questioning what just happened as Loki tucked the gems into his coat. Tony shot him a disapproving look before addressing the others.

“We won, folks. And we have the Infinity gauntlet to prove it.” He turned to Loki. “Where did you send them?”

“To join their master.”

“Is that wise?”

“He doesn’t have the power to come back. Your little world is safe for now.”

Thor crashed to the ground beside them, welling with pride as he clapped a hand on Loki’s shoulder, and Loki handed the gauntlet to him. Somewhat reluctantly, Tony noticed, but the thought was soon forgotten as Loki fell to his knees with a scream, clutching his head in agony.

“Loki, what’s happening?” Tony said as he and Thor crouched beside him, Thor scooping Loki into his strong arms to keep him upright, and Loki cried out again.

“He’s in my head.” The words were choked out around gritted teeth. Loki’s entire body tensed, his nails digging into his temples as if he could claw his way in to find Thanos’ grip, and tears welled in his eyes.

“It’ll be okay. We’ll find a way to stop it.” Tony had no idea how they’d manage to do so, but Loki didn’t respond anyway. His eyes glazed over, and Tony knew Loki’s mind was elsewhere.

The others were filtering back onto the street, running towards Tony and Thor when they saw the bodies hunched over on the ground. Bruce was the first to reach them.

“What happened?” He leant forward to inspect the damage, trying to keep his stretched and tattered clothes in place with one hand while the other searched for signs of injury. Steve was close behind, jogging awkwardly with a bad limp.

“Thanos,” Tony replied, “I don’t know what he’s doing to Loki, but this is so much worse than the nightmares he used to have when Thanos got into his head.”

“Let’s get him back to the tower. If we can sedate him, maybe that’ll numb the pain at least, and give us some time to figure out our next move.”

Thor carried Loki back to the van while the rest of them hurried to keep pace, and they sped home as fast as the rubble and debris strewn across the streets would allow them. The journey took twice as long as it should with road after road blocked by abandoned cars.

At least the city wasn’t quite as trashed as last time. Tony only saw a handful of destroyed buildings, and most of the damage was along the lines of broken windows and scorched vehicles. Still, with their every grudge match causing hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of damage, the people of New York would soon start to wonder if the Avengers were more trouble than they were worth.


	12. Chapter 12

Tony didn’t even bother to put his suit back into its correct place in his workshop. It needed patching up anyway, so sitting in a pile on the floor wouldn’t do much harm, and he was too desperate to see Loki to care at this point.

“How’s he doing?” Thor jumped slightly at the words, too distracted watching Loki sleep to notice Tony’s entrance. He crept to join Tony in the main room as quietly as it was possible for a man of his size.

“He slips in and out of consciousness. The pain seems less, but this is no real solution. He has a better chance of recovery on Asgard.” He stared back at the door as if he could see Loki through the wood. “He has been asking for you in his sleep. You must mean a great deal to him.”

Tony scoffed. “Are you kidding?”

“I have never known Loki return to the same bed so often.”

“That’s ‘cause I’m the best he’s ever had, Conan.” Tony was overcompensating on the bravado, though he didn’t know how else to react. The notion that Loki could have any real kind of affection for him was absurd. Sure, Tony teased him about it all the time, but he’d never believed it for a second.

“I hate to have to take him from you,” Thor said, interrupting Tony’s thoughts.

“No big. If he cares about me as much as you say, maybe he’ll swing back through once his head belongs to him again.”

“He did not tell you?”

“Tell me what?” Tony really didn’t like the look on Thor’s face, a mixture of surprise and sadness which could in no way signify good news.

“Loki is to return to Asgard once he can no longer be of use here. He must still pay for his crimes.”

“But he helped us. We’d all be dead or worse if not for him.”

“I know. Yet this would not be the first time he has aided others only to further his own schemes. Asgard has learned the hard way Loki is not always to be trusted.” Thor patted Tony’s back, the force reverberating down his spine, before stepping away. “I will give you your privacy.”

Tony stepped into the bedroom and sat beside Loki’s sleeping form. He wished he could move Loki to the penthouse. He was always more comfortable in Tony’s bed than on the cheap mattress in his room, and Tony would be able to stay with him all night that way. But he’d never be able to give a remotely decent explanation for it.

He raked his fingers through Loki’s hair, and Loki opened his eyes.

“Hey, how are you feeling?”

“Exhausted,” Loki said, frowning as he struggled to sit upright. Tony was at his side in an instant. He didn’t bother to let go after he’d helped Loki up, though Loki made no complaint.

“You’ll be pretty woozy ‘til the tranqs wear off. Can you still feel him?”

“Only a little.” He glanced at Tony, arms still wrapped around Loki’s waist, and a weak grin split his lips. “Were you concerned for my wellbeing, Tony?”

“Screw you. You scared the hell out of me, I hope you feel guilty.” Tony squeezed Loki tighter, ignoring the twinge in his shoulder. Loki noticed his wince.

“You’re hurt.”

“It’s nothing.”

Loki twisted out of Tony’s grasp, turning to face him as he delicately touched the blistered skin. His eyes shut tight, and Tony thought Thanos had clawed further into Loki’s mind until he felt his pain ebb away.

“Thanks,” he said, testing his newly healed shoulder. “I knew it.”

“What?”

“You love me. I told you it’d happen. You can’t even bear to see me in mild pain.”

Loki raised an eyebrow, but he wasn’t denying it.

“Thor said you loved me,” continued Tony.

“Oh well if _Thor_ said so it must be true. He’s such an authority on the subject, after all.” Sarcasm dripped from his tone, but Tony wasn’t prepared to give up just yet.

“He knows you.” Loki flopped back onto the mattress in silence, and Tony leant down to breathe against his ear, “Admitting defeat?”

Of course he wasn’t. “You feared for my safety – perhaps your own feelings have deepened as well.”

“Never gonna happen, sweetheart.”

“Is that so? This arrangement was your idea, Tony, and you’ve always been so eager for me to love you.” His eyes burned into Tony’s as he spoke, and it was only the thought of the pain Loki was fighting through that kept Tony’s arousal in check.

“I think we’ve reached a stalemate.”

Loki grinned and pressed his lips to Tony’s in a slow, tender kiss as his arm curled around Tony’s chest. Only now did Tony realise how much he was going to miss Loki. He’d never given Loki’s inevitable departure much thought, though now it was here, and now Tony knew he’d be locked up again for God knows how long, he wished Loki could stay.

“I don’t love you,” Loki murmured, his energy waning again.

“You don’t feel anything?”

“Maybe something.” Loki lifted his head to look at Tony through heavy-lidded eyes. “So do you.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Tony paused, trying to figure out where they stood now. He’d need about a year to work through it all. “It’s for the best, you going back to Asgard. I mean, could you imagine us trying to have an actual relationship?”

Loki chuckled. “We’d tear each other apart.”

“We’d probably both be dead within a week.” Tony reached a hand out to Loki’s cheek, Loki leaning into the touch before claiming Tony’s lips again. “Or we could take on the world.”

“That could be fun,” Loki said, settling himself beside Tony.

Tony's smile faded. “I wish we had more time.”

Loki nodded, his mouth set in a thin line. “I could return, after my sentence is complete. If you wished it.”

“What if I’m dead by then?”

Loki’s eyes lit up. Tony could so clearly picture a little light bulb flicking on above Loki’s head as he plunged his hand into a fold in his coat and pulled out the space gem.

“Take it,” he said, “Pay me a visit sometime.”

“You think you can just slip me one of the Infinity gems and no-one will notice?”

“The gems are too powerful to be kept in one location; they’ll be scattered again. I’m sure the All-Father would have little objection to this one remaining under your protection.”

“So I can use it for conjugal visits to his youngest. I’m sure he’ll love that.”

Loki kissed Tony’s cheek and whispered, “What could he do to stop us?”

“Sir,” Jarvis interrupted, “Dr. Banner and Thor are heading this way.”

Tony and Loki stared at each other in silence for a moment.

“That’s it then,” Tony managed at last, and he felt Loki’s hand squeeze his own. Reluctantly, Tony pushed himself off the bed and Loki sat upright once again.

“Until next time, Mr. Stark.”

Tony leaned in for a kiss, and neither of them pulled away until they heard the apartment door open.

“Good luck, Loki,” Tony replied, trying to fix his ruffled hair before Bruce walked in.

“We thought it’d be best to put you under again before you left,” he said to Loki as he stepped into the bedroom. Bruce gave Tony a brief look of surprise when he caught sight of him, but he didn’t comment, and Tony slipped back out of the room with only a glance at Loki over Bruce’s shoulder. Thor was waiting in the main room, stepping closer as Tony squeezed his eyes shut and sighed.

“Tony?” His voice was laced with concern.

“You were right,” he said simply. Thor offered him a sad smile.

“I will return him to you, if I can.”

“Do it.” Tony glanced back at the closed door. Thank God there was no-one else around. “The others waiting for you on the roof?”

“Yes. Director Fury will not let the Infinity gauntlet from his sight while it remains on this realm. I will make your excuses for your absence.”

Tony nodded. “I should head back upstairs. Don’t be a stranger, okay?”

He patted Thor’s arm and make his way to the penthouse, pouring himself a large drink and waiting on his balcony for the Bifrost to collect Thor and Loki. It was way too early for liquor, technically, but since Tony hadn’t slept for over 24 hours it didn’t count in his book. After the blinding lights had surrounded the building and dissipated again, Tony slid a hand in his pocket for the space gem.

He turned it over in his fingers with a grin.


End file.
